Murder, hold-ups still unsolved from last year

Press, 9 January 1986, Page 5

Murder, hold-ups still unsolved from last year

The unsolved crime list for Christchurch from last year includes the murder of a gang associate and several big armed hold-ups. Crime figures for Christchurch last year are expected to be released soon, as is the police “clearance” rate in which an investigation is satisfactorily resolved.

The Christchurch police had a busy year dealing with serious crime in 1985. Detectives worked on nine homicides and the number of rapes, robberies, indecent assaults, and serious assaults were up on the 1984 figure. Many of the inquiries resulted in arrests.

However, the police file is still open in some serious cases.

The most serious of the unsolved crimes is the murder of a Christchurch gang associate, Graeme David

Innes, who was shot dead in Ferry Road on March 31. The shooting followed a confrontation between members of the Devil’s Henchmen gang, with which Mr Innes associated, and the Highway 61 gang. Mr Innes was believed to be seeking help for a wounded friend when he was shot dead. Extensive police inquiries failed to find those responsible for the murder of Mr Innes.

On January 28 last year, a man wearing a novelty mask and armed with a pistol and bayonet held up the Bishopdale T.A.B. The robber, who was never found, forced a woman to open a safe and then made off with $ll,OOO.

On February 21, three men kidnapped the manager of the Century Super Value supermarket, in Edgeware Road, St Albans, and forced

him to open the safe. They fled with $22,000. The police said that the robbers did “a good job” of covering their trail.

On June 13, the wife of a successful Christchurch businessman was bound and robbed of cash and jewellery at her home in Burwood. The hooded man threatened the woman with a firearm and later fled with goods valued at more than $lO,OOO.

On September 23, a man wearing a balaclava entered the A.N.Z. Bank agency in Stanmore Road and held three staff members and a customer at gunpoint. The robber escaped with about $7OOO.

Burglars made several successful raids during the year on company warehouses, especially those holding video recorders. Substantial quantities of goods were taken.