‘Public comes first’ — brawlers jailed

Press, 21 May 1977, Page 3

‘Public comes first’ — brawlers jailed

The public was entitled to be free of the terror caused by brawls, said Mr W. F. Brown, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Members of unlawful assemblies should expect custodial sentences, he said when imposing such sentences on seven out of eight members of the Sons of Satan gang, for their part in a brawl with the Hampshire Street Mob, at Owles Terrace on January 15. ?. » Before the Court were Grant Russell Collins, aged 17; William Walter Dickson, aged 18; Peter James Hobbs, aged 18; Kevin Hugh Keenahan, aged 18; Michael Joseph Keenahan. aged 20; Railton Howard Lucking, aged 20; Timothy Richard Reilly, aged 17; and Walter William Smith, aged 23. Mrs P. D. Gibson appeared for the defendants, who had all pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful assembly, but had been convicted. Mrs Gibson said none of the defendants had been involved in this type of incident before. It had been an unfortunate incident, committed through “youthful bravado” rather than anything else, although some of the gang members had been drinking. The Magistrate said he w’as satisfied that the Sons of Satan gang had deliberately

followed the Hampshire Street Mob to its headquarters. Lucking was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment — the maximum penalty for being part of unlawful assembly — : and* was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for two years. “This type of offence is all too prevalent in this city and it must stop, because more and more people are going to be hurt,” said the Magistrate. Lucking was a senior member of the gang, and had one previous conviction for being part of an unlawful assembly. He did not agree with the probation officer’s recommendation that tucking should have a communitybased sentence. “1 impose this sentence without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, but this time the community has to come first,” said the Magistrate. The Magistrate had similar words to say when sentencing the other seven. Michael Joseph Keenahan was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, and 12 months probation, and was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for two years. His brother, Kevin Hugh Keenahan was sentenced to Borstal training, and two years disqualification from driving. Hobbs, a half-brother to the Keenahans, was sen-

: tenced to detention centre • training on the charge of unlawful assembly. For this i charge, and for driving while • disqualified and dangerous • driving, he lost his licence for a total of four years. Coffins was sentenced to i detention centre, and lost his i driver’s licence for two years. Collins, Dickson, and Reilly i were also sentenced to detenI tion centre training, and lost : their driver’s licences for two i years. Smith, the eldest of the . eight, was fined $5OO, with . 12 months probation and disqualification from driving for a year. , Mrs Gibson said Smith was: a first offender and had been ■ a party only to the unlawful ! assembly. He had not taken part in the fighting. The Magistrate said he had . come to the Bench with an open mind, and had dealt . with each case on its merits.