Crown says man beaten

Press, 29 August 1989, Page 6

Crown says man beaten

A man was beaten with a sledgehammer and softball bat during a robbery in his Linwood home last March, the Crown alleged yesterday.

Edward Mohi Huria suffered a fractured skull and wrist during the attack in Tancred Street, the Crown prosecutor, Mr Brent Stanaway, told the High Court at Christchurch. Mr Huria, who was admitted to hospital, also suffered severe bruising, as well as cuts and abrasions. Three men have pleaded not guilty before Mr Justice Holland and a jury to robbing Mr Huria of $2BBO while armed with a sledgehammer and softball bat.

They are Edison St Martin Rangi Smith, aged 25, unemployed (Mr Rupert Glover), Kira Hemopo, aged 28, a freezing worker (Mr Andrew Mclntosh), and Mark Richard Whittaker, aged 28, a part-time fisherman (Mr Tim Fournier). They have also denied an alternative charge of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Huria, who knew the three accused.

Mr Stanaway told jurors that Mr Huria had won nearly $3OOO at the races

and this had become common knowledge among his friends. It also became known that a large sum of money was being kept at Mr Huria’s home.

Mr Stanaway said that on the afternoon of March 19, Whittaker and another man, Lafutu, went to Mr Huria’s house. The pair were asked to leave after Lafutu and Mr Huria scuffled.

About 12.30 a.m. the next day, Smith called at the address and asked to see Mr Huria’s girlfriend, Yvonne White. Smith was interested in selling her a $15,000 diamond ring.

“Mr Huria told Smith that Yvonne White would nto be interested in the diamond,” said Mr Stanaway. Smith left but telephoned an hour laer, to be told again by Mr Huria that his girlfriend was not interested.

About 4'/ 2 hours later Mr Huria, Miss White and a friend were asleep in the lounge where they had been watching video tapes. The Crown alleges the defendants arrived armed with a baseball bat, sledgehammer and possibly a machete.

The back door was smashed in with the sledgehammer and two

disguised men wearing full-face crash helmets confronted them in the lounge.

Both demanded the money and one drove the sledgehammer into the lounge wall.

Mr Huria released his dog which went for the man with the sledgehammer. The dog was struck on the head with the weapon and ran from the room. Mr Huria then tackled the man, who dropped the hammer and was forced back into the kitchen. A fight ensued and the second man joined in.

Mr Huria became aware of a third man wearing an open-faced helmet and a scarf. “Mr Huria was on the the receiving end of some very heavily-delivered blows with both the sledgehammer and baseball bat. He fell face-down on the floor.”

Mr Stanaway alleged Mr Huria suffered blows to the back of the head, the arms and trunk from both weapons.

The three men then left with the money, which had been in Miss White’s handbag in the lounge. In the days after the robbery, Whittaker and Smith paid separate visits

to the Tancred Street house. Whittaker offered his condolence and help. Smith taxed Miss White about putting the word round that he had been one of the robbers. On March 22, Mr Huria was discharged from hospital and was visited at his home by Hemopo.

“The accused came into the lounge of the address and the Crown says he broke down and started crying and confessed to Huria that he had been one of the three assailants.

“He said that Smith had come around with Mark Whittaker and that it wasn’t meant to ’go down’ the way it did.” Hemopo offered to get the money back if he could — or at least his share of the robbery proceeds.

Mr Stanaway alleged Whittaker also visited Mr Huria and admitted his involvement.

Whittaker allegedly said his part was a minor one and asked Mr Huria not to tell the police. Smith and Whittaker denied any involvement in the robbery when questioned by the police. Hemopo allegedly admitted during his police interview being involved in the robbery.