Eight convicted for haka party attack

Press, 17 July 1979, Page 2

Eight convicted for haka party attack

PA Aucklan Seven men and a woma were convicted in the Magis trate’s Court at Aucklanyesterday of charges con nected with an attack on a: Auckland University stu dents' haka party in May. Brian Peter Lepou, agei 22, a storeman; Len Nuki 19, a labourer: Marty Mau rissa Povey, 18, an unem ployed kitchenhand; King Tangira. 24, an engineer Andrew Mathew Leef, 20. ai apprentice joiner: Joseph Ed

id I ward Leef, 23, a labourer; and James Pasene, 22, a toll an operator, and Benjamin is- Grant Dalton, 25, unem- j id ployed teacher, were each ; n . convicted by Mr B. H. Black-1 Jn wood, S.M., of participating i u . in a riot. Dalton, Lepou, Tangira,' ?di and Andrew and Joseph Leet, m were also convicted of in-i u- juring the students with in- 1 n- tent. . gi Two charges against Arthur; ■r; George Harawira, aged 23, a! tn labourer, of participating in d- a riot and injuring with in-;

; tent, were dismissed. Charges lof injuring with intent against Nuku and Pasene (were also dismissed. ! All the defendants were I remanded to August 2 for i sentencing. • The Magistrate said that! the engineering students had ■ shown an incredible lack of (taste, sensitivity, and tact by proceeding with plans for the I haka. Not all the students (were aware of opposition to • the haka party, but some who (were still decided to proceed. However, that did not en- ■; title the protesters to take I the law into their own hands, he said. It was impossible to have one set of rules for one section of society and another set of rules for the (rest. “Without society’s ! laws, the rules of the jungle (would apply," the Magistrate said. ( Avenues within the law, j such as the Race Relations ; Act, might have been used to (protest against the students, he said.