"Youth shot in fear at hotel’

Press, 22 June 1978, Page 2

"Youth shot in fear at hotel’

A youth who shot another youth in the leg outside a Christchurch tavern had told a detective that he had had a -.22-calibre rifle with him because he was terrified that two of his friends were going to be beaten up by members of the Hampshire Street Mob, the Magistrate’s Court was told yesterday. John Kelvin Keefe, aged 19, an unemployed baker, was appearing before Justices of the Peace, Messrs R. M. Naysmith and W. E. Tippens, for the taking of depositions on a charge that with reckless disregard for the safety of others he shot Anthony Darryl Brown, aged 19, in the leg. The Court was told that Keefe had gone to the tavern with the rifle hidden under his coat and a loaded magazine in his pocket.

In a statement to Detective Constable R. McCandlish, Keefe allegedly said that he has seen Brown coming towards him outside the tavern. The defendant had backed off firing shots at the ground, but Brown had kept advancing. Keefe had kept firing and one of the shots had hit Brown in the leg. For the prosecution, Sergeant M. P. Caldwell, said that on his arrival at the tavern, Keefe had found his friends talking with another

I man in the car park. Earlier a friend of Keefe’s had allegedly been “rippedoff” in a cannabis deal by members of the Hampshire Street Mob. Keefe’s friends had gone to the tavern to discuss the matter with members of the Mob. Brown, a freezing worker, said that on the evening of May 11 he had been at the tavern and had gone to the car park. He had seen four men talking to a friend of his. He had walked up to the group and there appeared to have been some disruption. He had walked towards a man who had produced a rifle and had told him to get back. Witness was not sure if he could recognise the man again. To counsel (Mr T. J. D. Hail), witness denied punching Keefe or his friends: "I might have pushed someone but I did not punch anyone.” Jamie William Philpott, a prison inmate, said that he had been with friends of Keefe and had thought that the other group in the carpark had been part of the Hampshire Street Mob. This group had acted aggressively.

The Justices found that a prima facie case had been established. They remanded Keefe on bail of $5OO to the Supreme Court for trial.