Conviction for bombing

Press, 3 April 1980, Page 5

Conviction for bombing

A third youth has been! convicted for the bombing of ! .the Kaiapoi police station. , Michael Raymond Kenny! was yesterday found guilty! of wilfully setting fire to the! • Kaiapoi police station with; Clifford Jeffrey King and Victor James Little on February 8. ■ Kenny, aged 17, a freezing worker, appeared before! Judge D. B. Pain in the District Court, Rangiora. He pleaded not guilty. He was remanded on bail to Christ- ' church on April 11 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant S. Hooper- prosecuted, and Mrs P. D. Gibson was counsel for the defendant. Dilwin John Clements said In evidence that he had gone up . the main street in Kaiapoi with the defendant. They had met up with Victor Little and C’ifford King , and they had all driven to Christchurch in the defend- ; ant’s car. Mr Clements said on the way back from Christchurch ..they had stopped "on Marsh-

land Road and King and, Little had made up two’ Molotov cocktails. Mr Cle-1 ments said that there had! been talk about blowing up the Papanui police station, but King and Little were talked out of it. He said that there was then general talk about blowing up the Kaiapoi police station. King and Little had then asked the defendant to drive them to the tennis courts about 200 yards from the Kaiapoi police station. King and Little left the car and returned about five minutes later. They said that they had blown up the station. The defendant then drove (them to his home. Clifford Jeffrey King and Victor James Little gave evidence of persuading the defendant to take them to Christchurch. Two Molotov cocktails had been made with petrol syphoned into beCr bottles from the defendant’s car. Messrs King and Little said that the defendant was not happy about ‘waiting for ' th»m at the tennis courts, but the “heavy word” - was

put on him. Messrs King and Little had then gone to the station and bombed it before running back to the defendant’s car.