Accused man bragged of shooting, Court told

Press, 9 March 1984, Page 3

Accused man bragged of shooting, Court told

PA Blenheim A man accused of the murder of a Mongrel Mob leader, John Michael Little, bragged about it later, a Witako Prison inmate said in the High Court at Blenheim yesterday. Anthony Hewison, serving a 12-month sentence for robbery, was giving evidence for the prosecution at the trial of Shane Shannon Hamilton, -aged 25, a sickness beneficary, James Kehu Wehi, aged 26, a contractor, and Reihana Chase, aged 29, a carpenter. All have denied the charge of the murder of Mr Little on August 26 last year at Picton.

Wehi and Chase also deny charges of being an accessory after the fact.

Mr Hewison said that he talked to Hamilton in the Blenheim police cells on October 25 about the shooting. The three murder-trial defendants were in Blenheim for a depositions hearing and Mr Hewison had been remanded in custody on a robbery charge. Hamilton told him he had shot “Stretch” (Little), Mr Hewison said. As he said it, he was rocking backwards and forwards in his wheelchair and laughing. “He thought it was great,” the Court heard. Hamilton said he “aimed (indicating his neck) and got him,” Mr Hewison said. Hamilton was going to plead that the gun was unstable and the shooting an accident. He shot “Stretch”

because he was wearing a Black Power patch on the seat of his trousers. Hamilton also said he once “took someone’s head off with a samurai sword,” Mr Hewison said. He told Mr Hewison he had sent a Black Power member to “stick” (knife) someone in prison. He was going to start up a new gang called the Yellow Brigade, members of which would have to kill someone to earn a patch. Mr Hewison was brought to Blenheim late on Wednesday to act as a witness after he had called the Blenheim C. 1.8. that afternoon. He had read a report of the trial in a newspaper. Cross-examined by Hamilton's counsel, Mr M A. B

lungay, Mr Hewison said he had not told the police about the conversation earlier because he did not think of it. He admitted he had been addicted to drugs and during a robbery in Blenheim on October 23 had beaten up, kicked and robbed a stranger who had asked him for directions. Defence counsel did not call any further witnesses. In his address to the jury, Mr Bungay asked them to find Hamilton guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder.

Earlier report, page 13