Gang member for trial on ‘pistol’ charge

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 4

Gang member for trial on ‘pistol’ charge

A shotgun reported stolen in a burglary of a house two years previously was found in cut-down form during a police search, in a bed at the headquarters of the Highway 61 gang in Worcester Street, according to evidence given in the District Court yesterday.

A member of the gang. Lionel Hatarei Chapman, aged 25. unemployed, who was said to have positions of sergeant and peacemaker in the gang, elected trial by jury and denied a charge of being unlawfully in possession of a pistol — a cut-down double barrel shotgun on March 30.

He was committed for

trial by jury, by Messrs V. C. Clarke' and’ E. W- Pyle. Justices of the Peace, after depositions of evidence of prosecution witnesses had been heard. They remanded him on bail to June 11. pending a date for trial in the District Court.

Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon appeared for the defendant. Sergeat J. E. Dwyer prosecuted.

Prosecution evidence was' given that, during a police search of 'the Highway 61 gang headquarters in Worcester Street, police found a sawn-off shotgun, cut down to an over-all length of 470 mm. under a pillow in a bedroom.

There was also a shoulder bag containing shotgun and rifle cartridges in the bedroom.

Papers in the room, including a letter from the Department of Labour and a parking ticket, bore the defendant's name. When interviewed by police the defendant said he had no fixed abode, and did not know who the shotgun and cartridges belonged to.

Detective M. W. Manson said that no mail was found addressed to any other person, but the defendant, in the bedroom where the shotgun was found.

He said the gun had been reported stolen in April, 1980. in a burglary of a dwelling.

It had been in its original condition, and not cut down when stolen.

Cross-examined, he agreed that there was a gang war going on in Christchurch at the time of the police search. There were three people, including the defendant, at the headquarters when the police called. He accepted that it would not be uncommon for some gang members to "crash" at the headquarters for accommodation, as the defendant had told police he did:

Detective Manson said he imagined it would be feasible for somebody to place the gun in the bed. if in haste, upon the arrival of the police.

Asked if there would be a large number of people coming and going at the headquarters. the detective said there would be. but there was not much activity to and from the headquarters while the police were there. Mr Fitzgibbon submitted that there was no case to answer.

There was no proof that the bedroom was occupied by the defendant, and he had told police he had no knowledge of the weapon found there.

The Court was left to guess whose shotgun it was, he said.

There was no evidence of the defendant having possession of the weapon.