Hastings police have won a landmark decision to destroy a Mongrel Mob member's patch after a heated stand-off between the gang and officers in Flaxmere.
Rawiri Mana Tehau, 30, appeared in Hastings District Court on Thursday and admitted a charge of obstruction arising from an incident on December 30.
The court was told police were in pursuit of an offender who ran into an address where patched members of the Mongrel Mob were drinking.
Tehau, and others, impeded an officer, who eventually had to retreat given the group's "aggressive nature".
He was then seen to face-off with a constable, with his arms in a fighting stance, before another officer was struck on the head by a plastic shovel thrown by one of the men.
In addition to sentencing him to 125 hours' community work, Judge Geoff Rea obliged when pushed by police prosecutor Andy Horne to make an order to destroy Tehau's patch, which was worn during the incident.
Court summaries showed the patch was "used for intimidation and was worn during the offence". The order was unopposed by Tehau's counsel Eric Forster.
University of Canterbury researcher and gang expert Jarrod Gilbert said he was surprised at the decision - one he said could have serious ramifications for the mobster. "A patch is a gang member's most prized possession and the consequences of losing it range from a fine to a sound beating," Mr Gilbert said.
But the academic, who recently completed his PhD thesis The Rise and Development of Gangs in New Zealand, said punishment often hinged on how a patch was lost.
"In this case there may be some leniency shown [by the gang] as it was forfeited through a court order."
While most patches were owned by the gang and not individuals, they were "priceless", he said. "They've often been handed down, have been worn by others and generally are a sign of your history.
"I doubt this case will act as a deterrent to wearing patches, but it's certainly a notch on the police belt."
Eastern District Commander Superintendent Sam Hoyle said while the order was the first case he'd heard of in Hawke's Bay, it didn't indicate a tougher police stance.
"This is a case-by-case thing," Mr Hoyle said. "In this incident the patch formed part of the offending, with the patch and gang becoming part of the offence."
While Tehau's patch had not itself been used in the incident, it had formed "part of the narrative", he said.
He said he was unsure if the test-case would deter others. "What I do know is that they don't like losing their patches.
"Most of the workings of the Mongrel Mob are unknown to me, but if internal repercussions are what happens in these cases then that's a risk members face if they offend with patches on."
First court order to destroy Mob patch
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