Two Hawke's Bay Regional Prison inmates who staged a 24-hour rooftop protest have admitted their part in a riotous incident that made national headlines on June 7.
Leo Winitana, 19 and City Timu, 19, appeared in Hastings District Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to unlawful assembly arising from the uproar that began in the prison's Wing 3 unit about 4pm.
Together with fellow inmates, Hohepa Joseph Sullivan, 21, Montana Kelly, 31 and Sio Muliipu, 23, the two became agitated after Muliipu was told his classification had been increased to maximum security.
About 4pm Muliipu refused to be locked in his cell and became aggressive towards staff. Police claim Kelly then incited the wing's six other inmates by yelling: "Let's do it. Let's go to war, we're Mongrel Mob, we fight together''.
Guards were then forced to withdraw before the group barricaded themselves inside and used table legs as threatening weapons and to smash property.
