After James Thomson was kicked out of the Highway 61 gang, he and three men allegedly crashed their cars into the compound of its North Taranaki headquarters and shot the place up, a court heard.
Thomson had joined the motorcycle gang as a patched member about six months before the December 5, 2017 incident at the Waitara gang pad, Jacob Bourke, Crown prosecutor, told the New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday.
Thomson has since been convicted for his “central role” in the incident, and the trial of his three alleged co-offenders, Sharif Moke, Mitchell Whittaker and brother Caleb Whittaker, has begun.
Bourke said Thomson, known as Buzz, was kicked out of the gang and out of a Warre St, Waitara, address following a grievance with another patched member with whom he resided.
“There was clearly some animosity between Thomson and his associates and the Highway 61s around this time,” Bourke said.
Around 6pm on the day of the incident, one car smashed through the gates of the gang’s Norman St, Waitara, property.
A second car followed and both vehicles crashed into the house. Occupants of the vehicles used a shotgun and a .22 rifle to shoot into the gang pad.
The three people inside “hit the ground and ducked for cover,” and all escaped injury, it was heard.
One car was left at the scene and the second was found abandoned on Tate Rd in Waitara. Bourke claimed a third car involved had links to the Black Power.
Balaclavas, gloves and trackpants were found in the bushes near the abandoned car on Tate Rd.
Thomson’s DNA was found on one of the balaclavas, Bourke said.
Moke, Mitchell and Caleb are each defending charges of aggravated burglary and discharging a firearm with intent.
Mitchell is facing a further two charges – commission of a crime with a firearm, and arson – following a linked incident which occurred eight days later, in the early hours of December 13, 2017.
The Crown alleges Mitchell shot up Thomson’s former Warre St residence, where the Highway 61 member still lived.
Bourke said the shotgun used in the earlier incident was used to pump four rounds into cars parked outside the address.
The car was then driven to the field of Waitara Central School and set on fire.
The vehicle had been taken from a New Plymouth complainant for “the Black Power”, Bourke said.
Mitchell’s lawyer Kylie Pascoe said her client was nowhere near either shooting scene.
She said the two incidents were gang-related “plain and simple”.
The issue was between members of the Black Power and Highway 61 and Mitchell was not patched with either gang.
“This was not his beef”, she said.
Julian Hannam, counsel for Caleb, and lawyer Christen Brosnahan, appearing for Moke, indicated their defence was that their clients were not at the scene of the shooting.
The Crown is expected to call more than 50 witnesses to help prove its case. The trial, before Judge Garry Barkle, will run into next week.
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Source: Stuff