Nine members of the Greasy Dogs motorcycle gang have been fined $500 each following a standoff with rival gang the Filthy Few last month.
Eleven defendants pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful assembly when they appeared before Judge Christopher Harding in Tauranga District Court yesterday.
The nine who were fined were
also ordered to each pay $132.89 in court costs. Two others have been sentenced to 40 hours' community work.
Police were alerted to tensions between the two gangs about 11.30am on February 5 after Filthy Few members wearing gang patches rode motorcycles into Matapihi - an area known to be occupied by Greasy Dogs.
After the Filthy Few members became involved in an altercation with a patched Greasy Dogs member on the roadside, members of the public called police.
The Filthy Few members rode off but were stopped a short time later riding around Matapihi.
About 3pm, about 20 Greasy Dogs members travelled to the Filthy Few gang pad at Birch Ave. An altercation followed between the two groups, during which police say some of the Filthy Few armed themselves with weapons including hammers, a spade and a baseball bat. When police arrived, the Greasy Dogs members began dispersing but 13 were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly.
The remaining two defendants, Cale Amokohe Kahotea, 28, labourer, Waitao and Tyrone Farrell, 30, of Matapihi, pleaded not guilty to unlawful assembly and are due back in court on April 26 for a case review hearing.
Fourteen patched Filthy Few members who also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful assembly on February 21 received the same fines.
Guilty pleas:
Jack Koti Allen, 39, unemployed, Gate Pa
Thomas William Cooper, 44, Kairua
Christopher Justin Davie, 34, soldier, Maungatapu
Codie John Dickson, Papamoa Beach
Jesse Wiheti Fisher, 25, unemployed, Matapihi
Wehi Honiana, 41, Waitao
Jesse Marc Le Lievre, 22, plasterer, Kairua
Andrew James Quinn, 38, unemployed, Mount Maunganui
Elvis Oti, 46, unemployed, Welcome Bay
Marsh Maihi Taikato, 51, Welcome Bay
Maurice Te Barry Walker, 42, Welcome Bay
