Seven guilty of assault

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 13

Seven guilty of assault

PA < Auckland In the Magistrate’s Court at Otahuhu, seven men have been found guilty of assaulting a Mangere superette owner in February. Eleven men appeared before Mr D. D. Finnigan, S.M. They pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of unlawful assembly and separate charges of assault. Convicted on both charges were Loane Filipo, aged 26, a labourer, of Otara; . Malisi Kepu, 48, fitter, of Mangere; Safara Maonao, 31; unemployed, of Mangere; Pausisi Sa’u, 39, assembly worker, of Mangere; Seciga Tanielu, 38, charge-hand, of Otahuhu; and Leutupa Vaafusuaga, 36, welder, of Mangere. Elisara Asai, aged 32, a steel-cutter, of Otahuhu, had a charge of unlawful assembly dismissed because of insufficient evidence, but was convicted on the charge of assault. All seven men were remanded by the Magistrate to April 17 for a probation report and sentence. Four other men had the charges dismissed because- of insufficient evidence. They were Etene Ai’i, aged 28. a machinist, of Mangere; Moli Esau; 30, unemployed, of Otara; Loma Semeatu, 35, workman, of Mangere; and Alan Uelese, -33, machine operator, of Manurewa. Counsel for the defence (Mr R. G. Smith) said he

rested his case on a question of identity. He said there was doubt from witnesses about the number and identity of people involved in the incident at the superette. He said he hoped the benefit of this doubt would go towards the defendants.