‘Chance encounter led to death’

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 4

‘Chance encounter led to death’

■ A chance encounter after the hotels closed between four members of two motorcycle groups at the corner of Moorhouse Avenue and Selwyn Street resulted; in the death of a young man who was stabbed through' the heart a few days before Christmas, Mr Justice Somers and a jury were .told in the High Court yesterday. Stephen James Gunn, aged 19, an apprentice fitter, and :Kerry Alfred Sampson, aged |24, unemployed, have pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of murdering lan ! Francis Hampton on December 21, 197 j. I The Crown alleges' that Gunn stabbed Mr Hampton ,through the heart and that ■Sampson aided and abetted I him. Mr Hampton was injured at the entrance, to a house at 32 Braddon Street, Addington. He took a few steps down the drive and. then collapsed on •■. the ground. At 10.30 p.m. ‘he was admitted to Christ- | church Hospital but died ■half an hour later..., ; . ■ I The trial which- began [yesterday afternoon is expected to take five days. The Crown is calling 21 witnesses. -’ Messrs P. G. S. : Penlington, Q.C., and D. J. L. Saunders appear .for the Crown; [Mr M. A. Bungay, of Wei-

iington, and Mir^-J. I '’Gibsori for Gunn; and''ftlessrs D. J. Fitzgibbon and K. J Osborn for. Sampson. ’ - 'Opening the Grown case Mr Penlington that the charge-of murder arose from events on ' the': evening of Friday,'.December .21, which resulted in the death., of Mr Hampton. \ X r. About 10.15 p.m. Mr Hampton had been a pillion passenger on a motor-cycle ridden by Trevor Salt, which made, a right.-turn from Moorhouse Avenue into Selwyn Street, while returning to Braddon : - Street after drinking at -, the Riccarton Hotel' known as “Nancy Hancock’s.” , , At the same time Gunn and Sampson, who had been drinking'at the British Hotel in Lytteltpn, were returning to > |he Headquarters of the Epitaph Riders motor-cycle gang, Tn Lincoln Road. They followed the other motorcycle and made two attempts in Disraeli Street to “puli them over.’’ Mr Hampton was fatally stabbed whenjihe machine eventually stopped outside the Braddon Street house. Evidence would be given that Sampson was a member of the Epitaph Riders and lived at the gang’s headquarters in Lincoln Road. On the afternoon of Deceiriber 21 Gunn arrived in Christchurch from Dunedin and went to the gang headquarters to do repairs .on his motor-cycle. ■• <• That evening the. gang members were drinking at the British Hotel until dosing time. Gunn travelled back to Christchurch' on the

That evening the. gang members were drinking at the British Hotel until dosing time. Gunn travelled back to Christchurch' on the pillion seat of Sampson’s motor-cycle. Messrs-Hamilton and Salt were members of a group of m o t o r-cycle enthusiasts known as the “Braddon Street Group” or the “Manor Boys.” They were followed by the two gang members who attempted to pull them up. • ; -- Sampson drew, up alongside the machine ridden ..by Mr Salt. Punches were thrown and Mr Salt'was hit on the right side of the face. After alighting from. the machine at the entrance to 32 Braddon Street Mr Hampton was confronted by Gunn and Sampson; the lat-

ter had' parked his motorcycle at the edge of the road with the motor running and headlight on for a fast getaway.

i When Sampson threw a large piece or concrete from the front fence at Mr Hampton he dodged out of the way. Gunn closed in on Mr Hamilton, kicked him and then stabbed him in front of Sampson who was a short distance away. Both, accused then left on the motor-cycle, Mr Penlington said.

As Mr Hamilton went to walk up the drive he took a few steps, staggered and collapsed on the grass.- No Crown witness actually saw him being stabbed.

Evidence would be ! given by Mr Salt that Mr Hampton had jumped off his machine at the gate while he rode up the drive. Oh turn■ing/off the ignition he heard a thud, looked around and saw. a large , lump of concrete on the d,riye. He saw one of the men take, a kick at Mr Hampton who ■ attempted to kick back. ;Mr Salt’yelled at Mr Hafnptori “to forget it.”

On the evening of December” 22 the police found a black crash helmet with priming paint on it in the grounds of the Epitaph Riders headquarters. It contained a hair from Sampson’s head.

A pathologist. Dr P. R. Kelleher, who conducted a post-mortem examination on the body of Mr Hampton, would give evidence that in his opinion -the cause of death was a stab wound in the heart.

Police inquiries continued throughout the week-end and on Monday, December 24, detectives executed a search warrant on a residence in Roker Street. During a search of the house it was found that a wardrobe door which was not locked was difficult to open. Gunn was found inside the wardrobe. Asked what he was doing there Gunn explained that he had hidden because he had thought “some guvs had come round to give him a hiding.” At first Gunn denied that he had been to the British Hotel but later admitted he had. Questioned by Detective Inspector P/ Seaman, Gunn

had admitted that he had used the knife but said he thought it was in selfdefence because there was a person behind him punching him. He thought he had stabbed him in the arm and l had not really hurt him. It: was not uptil 9 a.m. next 1 day that he Teamed the man[ had died. The pocket knife; he had used had been thrown away.

In a written statement Gunn had said that he and Mr Hampton , began to wrestle. Somehow he had been hit on the nose through the full-face helmet. That caused his eyes to water arid he could- feel blood running down, bis upper lip, The strap of the. helmet was pulled oh to his neck. . Gurin said that 'he was grabbed fropr.behind,on the left shoulder.' With some force he was pulled backwards, causing- the helmet to be pulled tighter around his neck. Three or four , times he punched just below the ribs. He had difficulty in breathing- „ . He had a pocket knife in the right pocket of his leather jacket. Reaching for it with his left hand .he took it out, opened it and pushed it to where he thought the person’s right arrn was. ,At that stage they came apart and he did not think that he was hurt. When he turned around he realised that it was his friend who had grabbed him frorii behind and had punched him, Gunn had said.

Mr Penlington said that on December 27, Sampson, of his own accord, called at the Central Police Station with his solicitor (Mr Fitzgibbon). He agreed to make a statement.

In the statement Sampson said that he had followed the motor-cycle into Selwyn Street <from Moorhouse Avenue because “I intended to pull one of them over and find out whether the rumours that I had heard about them riding with the Devel’s Henchmen, were true ... I tried to pull the bike over but did not succeed. “In Braddon Street I hoped off my bike and turned around to see my friend struggling with someone so I grabbed my friend and yelled out at him. I tried to pull him off because

1 I was onlv interested in[ ; finding out if some of them| • were riding with the Hench-I t men. . . ~ >; T think I hit my triend, i two or three times in the,: Itside to try and get them; :iapart. Eventually we both! :-stumbled back. At the same;: il time I heard a motorcycles Hlc-iving down the footpath lithe other side of the house. 1 ,; I thought it looked-like one

of the guys I had heard was [riding with the Henchmen so' i [ ran to my bike and my friend jumped on the back,’ 1 ; Sampson had said, in the [statement. ■ >• Sampson told the police [that he had not seen any’ ■stabbing and was unaware [of what had happened or [that his friend had a knife ! until several hours later, Mr . I Penlington said. • i