That incident was allegedly in retaliation for the arson of a barber shop in Tauranga owned by Mongols president Jim, “JD”, Thacker.
The fiery Te Puke stand-off between the two gangs was the culmination of the two earlier incidents and a sign of high tension.
“There was the arson at the barber shop, the shooting at Haukore St, the shooting at No 2 Road,” Pollett told the jury.
“It was all on.
“It was all on between the Mongols and the Mongrel Mob.”
However, Pollett said their evidence proved that it was the Mongols who fired first in the No 2 Rd shooting, and any move by them to opt for self-defence on those particular charges would be “easily disproven”.
“Because there was not an imminent threat to the Mongols.
“They had other options available to them and they chose not to take them. It’s their choice.
“Their shell casings were found on the road.”
Pollett said those other options included ringing 111, or even running into the orchard of their property.
There were three other members of the public who heard the shots being fired and their instinct was to call police.
“The whole genesis of their defence is that you don’t have any other options available.
“We know that they’re not likely to run inside and call 111, but that’s available to them, right?” Pollett put to the jury.
Prior to the No 2 Rd shooting, Pollett reminded the jury of earlier evidence and recordings showing “panic was setting in” after hearing the Mongrel Mob were on their way to the house.
“There was a need to arm up.”
By the time the gang arrived, Thacker, Hone Ronaki, and another Mongol gang member were ready to fire at them, she said.
Pollett will continue her closing submissions tomorrow.
The accused
Nine Mongols members, including Thacker – known as “JD”, “Jack Daniels”, or “the Cap” – and vice president Hone Ronaki are defending about 90 charges related to drug dealing and supply, firearms, aggravated robbery, and money laundering.
The other defendants are South Island president Jason Ross, 46, sergeant at arms Leon “the wolf” Huritu, 39, Kelly Petrowski, 28, Matthew Ramsden, 45, Kane Ronaki, 24, Te Reneti Tarau, 26, and a 28-year-old man with interim name suppression.
The accused are either “office holders”, members, or associates of the Mongols from around the country, including Hawke’s Bay, Christchurch, and Auckland.
The Crown alleges they were responsible for the commercial supply of drugs throughout New Zealand and were involved in “tit-for-tat” shootings with rival gangs, including one in Tauranga, where Mongols members fired 96 rounds of ammunition at a house where children were.
The gang allegedly obtained, distributed, and broke down quantities of drugs and sold them for profit. They used the firearms to service that drug trade, the Crown claimed.
