Eden Park flight ‘action of imbecile’

Press, 29 October 1981, Page 10

Eden Park flight ‘action of imbecile’

PA Auckland A man described the activities of an aircraft which flew over Eden Park during the third rugby test against the Springboks as “totally idiotic — if anything, the actions of an imbecile.” The man. Kenneth Neville Bluck. of Mount Maunganui, was giving evidence in the District Court at Auckland on the second day of a depositions hearing in which two men face charges of assault and breaches of the Civil Aviation Regulations.

The . defendants, Grant Albert Cole, aged 19, a freight operator, of Westmere, and Marx Jones, aged 32. a truck driver, of Herne Bay, each face eight charges of assault. They also face a charge of using an aircraft in a manner as to cause' unnecessary danger to people or property and a charge of committing I a criminal nuisance’ by dropping diverse articles from an aircraft in flight, which they knew would endanger the safety of the

public. Jones faces two further charges. - He is charged with flying an aircraft over a populous area. Eden Park, at such an altitude as would not enable the aircraft to complete a safe landing should engine failure or other cause necessitate a forced landing. He is also charged with wilfully permitting to •be dropped from an aircraft in flight articles in a manner that created a hazard to persons below the aircraft.

Cole also faces a further charge of wilfully dropping from an aircraft in flight diverse articles in a manner that created a hazard to persons below the aircraft.

Both men conducted their own defence, with assistance from Richard Cuthbert, Rosemary , Hollins, and Shaneen Moloney.

Mr Bluck. a self-employed paving contractor, told the court that he had been at the third rugby test between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park on September 12.

He said that he saw an aircraft over the park with “missiles” coming from it. The first time the plane flew over the park he was hit in the chest by a flour bomb from the plane.

There were numerous objects thrown from the aircraft including flour bombs, and squares of black polythene. There were also attempts at sending down flares by parachute.

Mr Bluck said that after he had been hit on the chest he was so angry that he wrote the number of the

plane on the back of his

rugby club ticket. He’ said that it was a frightening experience seeing the aircraft "buzzing” in so low over the ground time and time again.

His chest was sore for three or four days and there was bruising for more than a week.

He had asked his doctor to examine his chest several days later. .Under cross-examination, Mr Bluck said that he had asked his doctor to examine him because the activities over the park were “totally idiotic — if anything, the actions of an imbecile” and if there was anything he could do within proper bounds to assist with a conviction. this was the sensible thing to

He said that he had not hadany time off work because of his chest.

A self-employed forestry contractor, Stephen Ashley Rigg, of Masterton, said that he was hit in the stomach by a flour bomb. He said that it felt as if he had been punched and his stomach was tender for a few days afterwards. Under cross-examination, he. said that he had not had any time off work because of his stomach. Several other witnesses had earlier told of being hit by flour bombs before and during the match. Judge Bergin remanded Cole and Jones on bail until November 2 for the continuation of the hearing. Mr Rodger Haines appeared for the Crown.