Charges laid after a police raid in which a badly injured man was rescued from a Napier gang pad have been withdrawn.
But the charges have been withdrawn without prejudice, meaning police can still lay charges again if they decide to.
The charges, stemming from a Saturday afternoon raid at the headquarters of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Kenny Ave, Ahuriri, five months ago, were withdrawn without explanation and without appearances by any of the trio before Judge Geoff Rea in Napier District Court yesterday.
Seth John Forde, 39, Dyllan John Henderson, now 32, and a 23-year-old man, had been jointly charged with unlawfully detaining a 31-year-old and wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They had denied the charges.
When the outcome was offered in court yesterday, counsel said they accepted the Crown decision to withdraw the charges, although lawyer Richard Stone said his client would have preferred to have had the charges "dismissed."