Faeces flung at police in cellblock

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 1

Faeces flung at police in cellblock

. Faeces were thrown by gang members in the cells at the Christchurch Central Police Station yesterday before 11 members of the Highway 61 motor-cycle gang appeared in the District Court, the police said. A police spokesman said there had been “uproar” as each group of men was taken away to face charges of unlawful assembly at the Christchurch District Courthouse on Anzac Day, when six members of a rival gang were charged with murder. Some prisoners had excreted on the floor of the holding cells, and flung faeces at the policemen as they passed, hitting some, the spokesman said. Four gang members had to be cleaned up before they could be taken to the court.

There was heavy security at the courthouse yesterday after the attempt to storm the building on Anzac Day. Opposing bail for the 11 Highway 61 gang members, Sergeant M. P. Caldwell said that Christchurch was becoming a “gang battleground.” He said there was a volatile “fever heat” gang situation existing in the city and the police, in opposing bail, were making urgent efforts to defuse the situation

Judge Paterson remanded each of the defendants in custody to May 3.

Clearly, he said, it was an intimidating situation which was not to be tolerated.

Those appearing on charges of being a member of an unlawful assembly which had a common purpose of intimidating persons at the District Court were:

Bernard Peter Leca, aged 24; James Tuwairua Wirihana, aged 25; Kevin Korau, aged 26; Augustine Stanley Rangi, aged 29; Paul Paid Mason, aged 24; Sonny Morehu, aged 24; Taui Thompson, aged 27; Patrick Napier Hutana, aged 19; Ashley Vernon Davies, aged 22; Matthew Bernard Grant, aged 19, all unemployed, and Piwhara Anthony Tupara, aged 28, a painter and decorator.

Mason is additionally charged with possessing cannabis leaf, and Hutana is also charged with intentionally damaging a window in the courtroom.

No pleas were entered to the charges. Bail was sought for each of the defendants by two duty solicitors. The defendants ' were brought into the dock individually throughout the morning.

When one of those charged was refused bail, a female associate in the public gallery called out to the Judge that she would “get him.”

“You’ll get a war all right,” she continued as she was led out of the courtroom by a friend.

Outside t|ie court complex were two team policing units.

Seven police officers, and a policewoman, were inside the courtroom covering exit passages and the main door.

A police dog handler’s vehicle was also drawn up on the opposite side of the road to the No. 1 Court.

Soon after the court hearing began, seven motorcyclists, some with pillion passengers, arrived in convoy and stopped at the District Court.

However, gang members were outnumbered by police outside the court.

About 40 spectators watched, along both sides of Armagh Street, between the river bridge and the Durham Street intersection.

The gang members who arrived on motor-cycles at 10.21 a.m. began to park their machines in a yellow dotted “no parking” area opposite the court but were told to move on by police.

They then parked in two car park spaces immediately outside the court entrance.

One meter space was time expired ana the time on the other expired soon after.

A parking meter officer, who chalked the tyres, was the subject of several remarks. Soon after the meters were “recharged.” The only incident was when a woman left the courtroom on to the street and shouldered one of the eight policemen on duty at the door.

She then made abusive remarks to the police as she departed on foot along Armagh Street, towards Durham Street.