Defendant 'bragged' to police

A police officer told the Wanganui District Court Tyrone Peter Madams started to cry upon hearing Craig Rippon had died. PHOTO/FILE.

A police officer has told the crown at the Wanganui High Court yesterday Kevin Madams "bragged" to police about "smashing the prez."

Tyrone Peter Madams, Matthew Thomas Madams, Kevin Roy Madams, and two youths are charged with the murder of Craig Rippon, 57, and with participating in a criminal organisation on November 8. They have denied the charges.

Senior constable Christian Hogan told the crown he had been called to a Rimu St at 4.10pm after reports of a fight.

He met with Mr Rippon at the front of the property.

"He told us he had it all under control, there was no need for us to be there."

At 5.17pm he was called back to Rimu St where he found police and ambulance services attending to Mr Rippon.

"There was a lot of yelling and screaming going on," he said.

He was then sent to Bamber St where he found Kevin Madams and the two youths told him he was not needed.

"I was basically being told to f-off and they called the ambulance not the police."

I told [Kevin Madams] I have a job to do and he calmed the young fellas down."

Tyrone Peter Madams and his son Tyrone William Madams were then taken away by ambulance services.

At some point Kevin Madams told Constable Hogan they had "smashed" the president of Black Power Wanganui.

"He said 'they wanted a war now they've got one'."

Defence for Kevin Madams, Peter Surridge, asked why he singled out Kevin Madams when he referred to those bragging as a group in his police notes written after his shift.

"You can't say who actually said what, can you?" said Mr Surridge.

The court also heard from a Joanna Hartley, a St Johns paramedic called to the Bamber St property.

The ambulance treated a older man with a cut on his face and his son with a bleeding hand.

According to Mrs Hartley on the way to the hospital the two men appeared "hyped up."

"They didn't seem like they were upset. In my observation they seemed happy."

Under cross examination by defence council for Tyrone Peter Madams, Peter Brosnahan, Mrs Hartley told the court the older man seemed quiet and calm.

"It was the son that was doing the talking and hyping up wasn't it?" said Mr Brosnahan.

A witness who cannot be named told the court Tyrone Peter Madams became upset when he learned of Mr Rippons' death.

"He stood up and started to yell. He freaked out," she said.

A police officer also told the court Tyrone Peter Madams started to cry upon hearing the news.

Later in the day the mother of Mathew Thomas Madams told the court her son suffers from schizophrenia.

Bronwyn Anderson said her son had been working as a chef but in 2009 his illness progressed to the point where he had to be committed to a mental health unit for a year.

She said her son was a driver for his father Tyrone Peter Madams and had very little to do with the gang.

The trial began on October 27 and continues tomorrow. It is expected to last four weeks.
In June, Tyrone William Madams pleaded guilty to Mr Rippon's murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.