Convictions sequel to girl’s injuries

Press, 23 September 1980, Page 4

Convictions sequel to girl’s injuries

Two men, who appeared on charges relating to an incident in the Barbadoes Street headquarters of the Mongrel Mob where a girl was injured in a shotgun blast, were each convicted yesterday by Judge Frampton in the District Court. They were remanded on bail to October 6 for probation reports and sentence. Samuel Fredrick Takimoana* aged 17, a scrub cutter, admitted injuring Soraya Stender under circumstances that if death had occurred he would have been guilty of manslaughter. Noel John Walter Kelly, aged 22, also a scrub cutter, admitted being an accessory to the offence by actively suppressing evidence against Takimoana. Sergeant W. J. McCormick said police were informed by St. John Ambulance that a

girl had been injured by a gunshot wound in a house in Barbadoes Street on September 13. He said Stender was shot in the right thigh. She had undergone emergency surgery and would require treatment for several months. Takimoana said he had been “playing around” with the shotgun and that while pointing it at Stender it had accidently gone off. Takimoana said h e had not checked whether it was loaded at the time but was aware that the weapon had a hair-trigger. Kelly said he had hidden the shotgun under the house afterwards to prevent Takimoana from getting into trouble. Bail, for both defendants, sought by counsel (Mr M. J. Knowles) was granted.