Fourteen appear for unlawfully assembling

Press, 29 May 1984, Page 3

Fourteen appear for unlawfully assembling

PA Timaru Fourteen men charged with unlawful assembly appeared in the District Court at Timaru yesterday, and 11 were remanded for a preliminary hearing on June 26. The police opposed bail, but it was renewed by Judge Hay after discussion in chambers. All defendants were remanded on bail of $2OOO with two sureties of $2OOO each. Six of the defendants face additional charges of assault, and one faces an additional charge of possession of an offensive weapon, a knife. The unlawful assembly charges relate, to incidents in Evans and Stafford streets on May 12 and 13. . Counsel, Miss J. L. Ryde, said that her client, Anton Peter Joseph Direen, said he was not a member of the

KKK gang, and had never been associated with such a gang. Direen, aged 27, unemployed, of Temuka, was remanded to June 26 on charges of unlawful assembly in Evans Street and assault, both on May 12. The defendants, Ricky Burnard, Geoffrey Edward Direen, and Michael Antony Joseph Taylor, were remanded without plea to June 11. Their counsel, Mr A. J. Shaw, said he could not continue to act for the men, because of a conflict of interests. It was expected they would enter not guilty pleas, he said. The defendants and the charges against them were: Ricky Burnard, aged 21, freezing worker, of Timaru, unlawful assembly and assault; Anton Peter Joseph Direen, aged 27, unemployed, of Temuka, unlawful

assembly and assault; Geoffrey Edward Direen, aged 22, labourer, of Temuka, unlawful assembly and assault; Douglas Bruce Ferguson, aged 20, labourer, of Timaru, unlawful assembly; Kevin Ronald Holman, aged 19, of Timaru, unlawful assembly; Barry Allan Skudder, aged 18, labourer, of Timaru, unlawful assembly, Darren Keith Skudder, processor, of Timaru, unlawful assembly, Shayne Phillip Skudder, aged 19, storeman, of Timaru, unlawful assembly, two charges of assault with intent to injure; John Neil Stracha, aged 23, of Timaru, unlawful assembly, Murray Ernest Winmill, aged 23, of Timaru, unlawful assembly, Kieran James Tooley, aged 24, solo parent, of Timaru, unlawful assembly; Robert James Drummond, aged 26, unemployed, of Timaru, assault with intent to injure and unlawful assembly (Stafford Street), on May 13; Ewan Grant Midgeley, aged 24, shearer, of Timaru, assault with intent to injure and unlawful assembly (Stafford Street), on May 13; and Michael Joseph Antony Taylor, aged 21, fishsplitter, of Timaru, unlawful assembly (Evans Street), on May 12 and possession of a knife on May 12.