For the better part of a decade, police have had the base of the Head Hunters East in their sights. It’s the inner sanctum of the Heads, with members stationed there around the clock. Now, as a judge considers a bid to seize the pad and other assets,
Head Hunters assets case: A rare, exclusive look inside the pad police want to seize
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Signs warn against the taking of drugs on the premises. The vibe is one of discipline and respect, akin to a professional boxing gym or military barracks.
One of the requirements of the Head Hunters East is for members to undertake what they call “tours of duty” to ensure the club is never unmanned.
They work in shifts keeping it in good nick and watching the security screens fed from the building’s array of CCTV cameras. If they don’t turn up for a shift, they are fined $500.
This is the pad police have been battling to seize for more than six years.
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It would represent the jewel in the crown of Operation Coin, their bid to seize five properties including Marua Rd that they say are controlled by the man alleged to be the club’s president: Wayne Doyle.
The long-running effort culminated in a weeks-long civil case against Doyle that ended earlier this month.
Justice Peter Andrew reserved his decision and it is expected to be months before it is released, such is the complexity of the landmark $15 million assets case.
Doyle, who has not been arrested or charged with any offence since his last release from prison in 2001, denies he is the boss and contested the profit and asset-forfeiture orders.
The Criminal Proceeds Recovery Act does not require a conviction. It requires only that police prove an asset is tainted under the lower standard of proof required in civil cases compared with criminal trials.
While acknowledging Doyle is a senior member with considerable mana in the club, his lawyer Ron Mansfield KC said he was not the “Teflon Don” police cast him as, reaping the rewards of drug dealing and extortion committed by some of the gang’s members while staying clear of any actual involvement.
“He’s simply, for want of a better way of putting it, an elder statesman involved in the management of the club,” Mansfield said.
Within the scope of the forfeiture orders sought by police are the capital gains on the five properties. Auckland Council records show 232 Marua Rd now has a capital value of $4.1m.
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It is owned by East 88 Property Holdings Limited (PHL). The number 88 is a common shorthand for Head Hunters, with 8 denoting the eighth letter of the alphabet.
Doyle is the sole director of East 88 PHL and owns a third of the property via his Doyle Trust. The other third is owned by Doyle and other trustees, and the final third is held by various individual trusts controlled by patched Head Hunters, with Doyle a joint trustee of every one.
The purchase of the property shortly after Doyle left prison in 2001 was funded by loans paid off in their entirety in just four years, Crown prosecutor Conrad Purdon said at the civil hearing.
Before it became the East Chapter pad, the Marua Rd property was once a wedding reception facility called Secret Garden.
“We’ve had people ring up to ask if they can renew their vows,” Doyle said while in the witness box.
“I said they’d be a bit surprised now.”
When the Herald arrived at the pad, we were allowed to walk around as we saw fit, with the only condition being not to take photos inside its nine bedrooms and to photograph members only if we asked first. Most who were asked quietly obliged.
The man who showed us around said it was up to us where we went and what we photographed. He explained he didn’t want to give the impression he was offering us a guided tour but was happy to come along to ensure there were no misunderstandings.
When you walk inside Marua Rd, the first thing you see is a lavishly appointed ground-floor gym replete with weights and exercise machines.
The building then opens up to the central, open courtyard, where a swimming pool is surrounded by garages covered with stone arches. It is here, with a platform over the pool, that the Head Hunters host their regular deadlifting competitions.
Upstairs to the first floor and there’s a balcony surrounding the courtyard, the large kitchen and a sprawling lounge area with many TV screens and black leather couches. Only members are allowed in this area.
Signs on the walls pay tribute to fallen or longstanding, esteemed members. One sign reads “In Bird We Trust”, a reference to William “Bird” Hines.
He was convicted in 2017 of running a methamphetamine syndicate and released from prison early on compassionate grounds due to his failing health.
During the hearing, Doyle described Hines as a “unique, amazing sort of a character” when he was asked why he continued associating with people involved in crime.
“How do you throw your friends out that have been beside you for years and years and years?” Doyle said.
“You don’t just throw someone out because they get into trouble. You’ve got to stand by them.”
Upstairs is an open-plan area full of punching bags – the pad doubles as the Fight Club 88 boxing gym and merchandise is available to buy. The wall bears a large tribute to Chris Martin, the legendary boxing coach who died aged 59 earlier this year.
The boxing room opens up into an expansive deck area with views over industrial Ellerslie.
One of the central roles of Marua Rd is hosting the Head Hunters’ regular national meetings, formerly called “church” or “parole board” but now dubbed “hui”.
At hui, members bring up prospects who they believe should be patched and everyone has a chance to object, before they get down to club business.
During the civil hearing, the judge asked Doyle what sort of qualities the hui looked for in those seeking to get patched.
“Good people,” he said. “Someone with a bit of mana. Someone who looks after his family and stands his ground.”
George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police, the courts, prisons and defence. He joined the Herald in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the Otago Daily Times in Dunedin.
