Guilty verdict on kidnapping count

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 5

Guilty verdict on kidnapping count

A man had a knife held at His throat after two men had got into his car and asked him to take them home, the High Court heard yesterday. David William Wyse said the knife was produced after one of the men had said they were going to take his car. He was giving evidence at the trial of Robert Tui Toko Sadlier, aged 25, unemployed, and Chad Puru, aged 18, a labourer. They were both charged with kidnapping Mr Wise and lan Walter Porritt, and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. Puru was also charged with assaulting Mr Wise to facilitate a crime.

Both were found guilty of kidnapping Mr Wyse. Puru was also found guilty of assault. They were remanded in custody for sentence on September 24.

Mr Justice Holland had earlier dismissed the charges of kidnapping Mr Porritt because he did not appear. No evidence was offered that Mr Porritt had been held against his will.

After hearing the Crown’s evidence, Sadlier and Puru pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

Puru was represented

by Mr A. N. D. Garrett and Ms D. B. Shirtcliff. Sadlier was represented by Mr M. J. Knowles. Appearing for the Crown, Mr R. E. Neavt said Mr Wyse had left his locked car in the car-park at the Papanui Tavern.

When he returned to the car with Mr Porritt the car was unlocked and a combination lock on the ignition had been smashed.

Two men, who Mr Wyse later identified as Sadlier and Puru, got into the car and pushed Mr Porritt into the back seat Sadlier sat in the front passenger seat while Puru sat behind Mr Wyse. They asked to be taken to Gloucester Street. Mr Wise hesitated, then agreed. Mr Wyse said Sadlier told him he was going to take the car.

“I said, ‘no, you’re not’, then felt a sharp object around my throat, I took it to be a knife, it came from behind me. Puru said they were going to take the car.”

Mr Wyse said he offered to pull over and let them have the car, but was told to keep going. He felt a knife prodding his back as he drove. Sadlier took the car keys when they reached a

house in Gloucester Street He told them to go inside and not to leave.

Mr Wyse said he then noticed a knife tucked into the top of Puru’s trousers. While at the house, Puru had said he would find and knife him if he went to the police, Mr Wyse said. He said Sadlier took the car to get some beer. He went with him because the car kept stalling. When he got out of the car to push, a friend arrived on a motorbike. He got on the bike and told his friend to go to the police.

Mr Neave said the police later found a knife up a chimney at the house.

When interviewed by the police, the accused both denied having a knife. Both said they had taken some pills and were not sure what had happened. Sadlier said in a statement that he remembered Puru had been hassling some guys in a car, and he had told him to lay off. While addressing the jury, Mr Knowles said Sadlier had no appreciation that he was holding Mr Wyse against his will. Mr Wyse could not remember what he said to Sadlier and Puru when he indicated he did not want to be there.

Mr Garrett said he accepted Puru assaulted Mr Wyse, but that the assault had been part of unlawfully taking the car, not of kidnap. If Mr Wyse had been kidnapped, he would not have been asked to go outside and push the car where he could get away, said Mr Garrett.