Gang member tells of body’s disposal

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 5

Gang member tells of body’s disposal

PA Rotorua A Tokoroa member of the Biack Power gang has said that he had been told a man’s body had been thrown over a bridge into a river.

Owen Lawrence Wheeler said that he had seen the body of Alan David Turner bundled into a car at a Taupo motor camp on August 16. He was giving evidence in the High Court at Rotorua before Mr Justice Hardie Boys and a jury, in a trial in which one man is charged with murder and three with being accessories.

Mason Turanganui Marama, aged 23. a bushman of Taupo, denied a charge that he murdered Alan David Turner.

Paul Patterson, aged 21, a bushman, of Whakatane, Adrian Ngamotu, aged 17, a post cutter of Taupo, and Alan John Heagney, aged 17, unemployed, of

Tokoroa, denied allega tions that they were ac-

cessories after the fact of murder, and an alternative charge of offering an indignity to a human body. Mr' Wheeler said that he, Mr Turner, Heagney and other members of the Tokoroa Black Power gang went to Taupo on August 16 to drink with members of the Taupo chapter. At Taupo Mr Turner, who was known as Honky, went into a main street hotel, and he came out with Patterson, who invited them in.

Members of the Taupo Black Power gang were there, including Patterson and Bonzo (Ngamotu) whose full name he did not know.

They went to Unit eight where some men and women were sitting about, but no party. Mr Wheeler said that he and others went to Unit seven where they were told they could sleep. After a time he heard voices outside, and heard Marama accuse Mr Turner of trying to steal money, or a purse belonging to Marama’s girlfriend. "Honky (Mr Turner) denied this, and then I heard Mason (Marama) begin to beat him up. I did not see it but I heard punching and booting.” “Turner had said that he did not do it, and Marama said that he would kill him if he was lying. “I heard someone say to stop, as he had had enough.”

Mr Wheeler said that Mr Turner was brought into Unit seven and appeared to be groggy. He had gone to sleep on one of the beds.

“Bo.n?o (Ngamotu) and Heagney’ came in and wanted to know what had happened, and they went next door to ask Marama.” Marama then came into the unit’ and. pulled Mr Turner out of bed. Mr Turner was “breathing funny.” Mr Wheeler said that Mr Turner was taken to

Unit eight, and he heard him again being accused. There was a scuffle and then quiet. “I heard a girl’s voice say that Honky was dead, and that the other two had killed him. Someone said he was just knocked out.”

He said that Heagney came into Unit eight and said that Mr Turner was dead. Mr Wheeler said that he did not believe this, even though others also said so, until he went to Unit eight to see for himself. There he saw Mr Turner lying with his eyes wide open and with blood on his beard.

“He was dead,” said Mr Wheeler. He was unable to find a pulse. Marama had banged Mr Turner in the chest a couple of times and poked his fingers in his mouth, and had then said Mr Turner had choked on his vomit.

Suggestions were made that the body be buried, or that it be thrown over the Huka Falls. He said that the body was put in his car, by Marama and Ngamotu and, he thought, Patterson. Heagney had the keys of the car and though he did not want to do so, he was forced to drive.

Ngamotu, Patterson, and Marama were in the car. Mr Wheeler said that they decided to bury the body, but when the car returned after about 10 minutes Heagney had said that Marama, Ngamotu, and Patterson had thrown the body over “this bridge into the river.” There was some discussion that night, and it was suggested that if anyone asked about -Mr Turner they were to say they had not seen him since they left De Bretts.

He said that Marama had said that nobody, was to go to the police. Later, at Tokoroa, after a discussion among the Tokoroa group, it was decided to go to the police.