Gang members fined $l50

Press, 25 February 1978, Page 7

Gang members fined $l50

I Two members of the Epi(taph motor-cycle gang who attached a young man in a i Huxley Street house on the (evening of August 6 were each fined $l5O by Mr Justice Somers in the Supreme (Court yesterday on charges I of assault. i Trevor Malcolm Sampson, (aged 24, a factory worker, land Murray Sean Voice, aged 22, a loader driver, had elected trial by jury on alternative charges of robbing David Terrence O’Connell, aged 21, of $llO, seven dozen bottles of beer, and motor-cycle parts, and (with assaulting O'Connell. I The jury found them guilty ion the lesser charge of as- : sau! t. Evidence was given that (about eight members of the I gang went to the house, ransacked the premises, at- [ racked O’Connell, and stole (his wallet and other articles. ( Mr R J. Murfitt, for Samipson, said that only one 'blow had been attributed to

his client, who had tried to persuade others to desist from the assault. Sampson had remained out of serious (trouble for some time. He I came from a disadvantaged 'background. ( Mr L. M. O’Reilly, for (Voice, said that his client was not proud of the part he had played in the offence. He was married, with two children, had a job, and had finished his association with the gang. His Honour said that he could not ignore the fact that Sampson and Voice had gone to the house as members of a gang but he was inclined to think that the assault had not been entirely i unprovoked. Sampson had been before ( the Court previously but. not (often for anything serious. (He had a good probation iofficer’s report. Voice was far more involved in the offence and he thought that Voice might (have begun it: but he had a good probation officer’s report, said his Honour.