Mount Maunganui ‘gang-related’ brawl: Nine deny rioting and wounding charges, eight head to jury trial

Nine Bay of Plenty men have appeared in court in Tauranga to deny their charges relating to a June 21 incident in Mount Maunganui. Photo / NZME

Nine men accused of rioting and wounding offences have denied the allegations, with eight heading to a jury trial.

They were among those arrested after what police alleged was a “gang-related” brawl on Maunganui Rd on June 21.

Nine defendants appeared in court in Tauranga on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to joint charges of rioting and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in a Tauranga court yesterday.

Those defendants are Jesse Wiheti Fisher, 38, from Matapihi; Lake Kaimoana, 24, from Tauranga; Paul Frederick Carmichael, 44, of Brookfield, Teina Eremiha Matiaha, 35, of Mount Maunganui; William Grant Palmer, 42, from Matakana; Carlton Jon Paki, 36, from Pāpāmoa Beach, Tipene Guy Oti, 33, from Gate Pa; Maurice Te Barry Walker, 54, from Kairua; and Kereama Walker, 17, from Bethlehem.

Kereama Walker’s case has been transferred from the youth court to the district court, meaning he can now be named.

He and Kaimoana also denied joint charges of aggravated robbery.

The teen and Paki also pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Eight of the defendants elected trial by jury.

Kaimoana had not decided whether he wanted a judge-alone trial or a jury trial.

A 10th defendant - Te Koikoi Brown, 25, from Bethlehem - did not enter pleas to his four charges: rioting, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, aggravated robbery and possession of an offensive weapon in public.

The latter charge related to an allegation Brown had knuckle dusters in his possession on June 21.

Brown was given more time by Judge Paul Mabey KC to enter his pleas after his lawyer, Peter Attwood, confirmed he had not yet received full disclosure from the police.

Brown’s next court appearance would be on August 3.

Case review hearings for other defendants will be held on September 15.

Three other Tauranga men have also been charged with rioting and wounding offences stemming from the same incident, one of them is due to appear in the Tauranga District Court on July 20.