Two Whangarei men involved in beating up an associate and stealing from his home have entered guilty pleas before the start of their trial.
Nicky Dodd, 36, is charged with robbery, and Sam Edwards, 31, is facing a charge of injuring with intent to injure. Both appeared to begin theirtrial in the Whangarei District Court on Monday but changed their plea that afternoon.
Edwards wounded Boyd Charles Norgrove and Dodd robbed him on August 21, 2009. A third accused, Raymond Dunn, was expected to be discharged when Edwards was sentenced today.
A summary of facts said Norgrove was an associate of Dodd and had previously met Edwards and Dunn. In the week before August 21, 2009, Dodd had visited Norgrove and asked him to do repairs on his motorbike in his garage. Norgrove had been wary of going to Dodd's home and had made arrangements with his flatmate to phone him and to check on him after a certain time.
As he had begun working on Dodd's motorbike, Edwards had gone to Norgrove's home but was disturbed as he tried to gain entry.
Both had later gone to the garage and Edwards had begun punching Norgrove repeatedly about his head. Norgrove had glimpsed a metal object in Edwards' hand that he thought was a knuckleduster and had also felt it striking him. Edwards had continued punching him about the head and he had hunched over to protect himself.
Edwards and Dodd had taken Norgrove's car keys and a set of wheels from his home.
