Knife attack on runner claim

Press, 5 March 1982, Page 5

Knife attack on runner claim

A student, aged 17, who chased a group of youths smashing a telephone box at Church Corner in Upper Riccarton, while he was on his evening training run, was confronted by two of the youths with knives and was stabbed in the arm, according to evidence yesterday in the District Court.

Shane Murray Kerapa, aged 17, unemployed, faced a charge of assaulting Malcolm Gavin Wong, with intent to injure him, on December 9.

After hearing depositions of evidence of prosecution witnesses, Messrs D. F. Prestney and C. A. Pilgrim, Justices of the Peace, held there was sufficient evidence to commit the defendant for trial.

He was remanded on bail to March 19, pending his trial.

Mr E. Bedo, who appeared for the defendant, denied the charge. Sergeant W. J. McCormick prosecuted. Mr Wong gave evidence that while on his regular evening run in this area, about 10.30 p.m., he heard breaking glass and saw a group of youths smashing up the telephone box at Church Corner. He called out to them that he would call the police. They ran off and he followed and caught up with one of the group.

Two others returned and “surrounded” him. One had a long-bladed knife, and the

other a small knife like a pocket knife.

One youth with long fair hair held the long knife. They waved the knives around and demanded to know where the police were.

One youth waved the pocket knife and he put his left hand out and got a slash from it. He held the knife and then while looking at his injury he was stabbed in an arm by the youth with the long fair hair. The wound later required hospital treatment and stitching. Mr Wong said the youths threatened to kill him.

He ran off and telephoned the police from another telephone booth. He accompanied police who arrived in a patrol car and came upon the youth who had stabbed him. He said he could not tell if it was the defendant. The person who stabbed him had long curly fair hair. Constable B. J. Spratt, of the Hornby police station, said he was called to the area and saw the defendant whom he had known for about three years. The defendant had shoulder-length hair which went down over his eyes and obscured part of his face. The defendant had a pocket knife in a pocket. The constable said Mr Wong immediately identified the defendant and two others with him. A sheath knife was found

next to one of the youths with the defendant.

Questioned at the police station the defendant told the constable he had been with three other youths and two or three girls. They had kicked in the windows of the telephone box and a “nip joker” then appeared, told them to stay there as the police were on their way. They ran off along Main South Road, but noticed one of their number was not with them and returned and found he was being held by the complainant.

The defendant then described the incident in which he told the constable he and a companion produced knives.

Both told Mr Wong they would stab him if he did not let go.

The defendant said he stabbed Mr Wong in the hand to make him let go of the knife. He then stabbed Mr Wong in the arm, only to make him run off.

Constable Spratt said that the defendant at the time had hair down to his shoulders or past them, and had trouble keeping it out of his eyes.

He had known him for three years but when he came to court yesterday he found the defendant looked completely different with short hair. The constable said the defendant’s appearance yesterday was “completely different.”