Manslaughter verdict in stabbing case

Press, 10 May 1980, Page 2

Manslaughter verdict in stabbing case

A youth who stabbed, a I member of a motor-cycle group through the heart with a knife was found 'guilty of manslaughter by a Jury’ in the High Court yesterday after a retirement ,bf 3| hours. I Mr Justice Somers reimanded Stephen James [Gunn, aged 20, an apprentice fitter, until May 16 for sentence. His Honour discharged Kerry Alfred Sampson, aged 24, unemployed, [after the jury found.him not (guilty on a charge of murider. u Gunn and Sampson had pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of the murder of lan Francis Hampton, aged 19, on December 21. The trial began on Monday. [ The Crown alleged Ithat, Gunn s‘abbed Mr Hampton: in Braddon Street and that; Sampson aided and abetted him after a chance encounter between members of two motor-cycle groups. Messrs P. G. S. Penlington and D. J. L. Saunders appeared for the Crown; Mr M. A. Bungav, of Wellington,and Mrs P. D. Gibson for Gurin; and Messrs D. C. Fitzgibbon and K. J. Osborn for Sampson. i Evidence was given that Gunn, who lives in Dunedin, came to Christchurch on holiday after finishing work for the year. He went to the headquarters of the Epitaph Riders gang in Lincoln Road where he made repairs to: his motor-cycle. In the even-| ing he went on the back of Sampson’s motor-cycle to. the British Hotel, Lyttelton. They were returning to Lincoln Road when they diverted up Selwyn Street to follow a motor-cycle ridden by

jTrevor Salt with Mr Hampton on the pillion seat. ! Attempts were made to pull the other motor-cycle over and Mr Hampton was fatally stabbed when the machine stopped' outside a house in Braddon Street. The Crown called 22 witnesses. Gunn gave evidence but Mr Fitzgibbon,- for Sampson, called no evidence. Mr Bungay submitted-'that Gunn had acted in selfdefence when he drew the knife to jab Mr Hampton in the arm because he ’ was being strangled with his crash helmet. ' Vi'-.-.f’' Mr Fitzgibbon submitted that Sampson should be acquitted because he did not know Gunn had a knife and did not know of the stabbing until some time later, j The knife was not produced at the trial. Gunn said' in evidence that he had thrown it from a car between Christchurch and Rangiora. In a statement to the police, Sampson had said he had followed the other motor-cycle because he wanted to find out if the rumours he had heard about the Braddon Street Boys riding with the Devil’s Henchmen motor-cycle gang were true. Late yesterday afternoon Sampson again appeared in the dock and pleaded guilty; to a charge that on Decern-' her 21 with intent to intimidate he discharged ■ a firearm to alarm Kenneth! William McDiarmid, Ross! Lawrence McPherson, and Mary Anne McPherson, at 32 Braddon Street. He was remanded in custody to May 16 for sentence.