Youth riot last straw for Hamilton suburb

By PAUL YANDALL and NZPA

HAMILTON - Police will meet Claudelands residents today to try to sort out problem parties in the suburb - the latest leaving a teenager in hospital with stab wounds.

Detective Sergeant Ross Ardern of North Hamilton said police were sick of being called to out-of-control parties in the suburb after a birthday party in Union St on Saturday night in which two people were seriously injured.

Up to 300 drunken youths started a running battle among themselves and with police after the party spun out of control.

The youths began fighting, smashing bottles, wreaking damage and vomiting and urinating on properties before 20 police officers arrived to wrestle back control of the neighbourhood around midnight.

Two men were taken to hospital.

One of them, 17-year-old Greg Petersen, is still recovering in hospital from two stab wounds - one which punctured his lung and narrowly missed his heart.

"People are just getting fed up with it," said Detective Sergeant Ardern.

"It's not the first time we've spoken to these people, and it's not the first time we've had to attend a party that's out of control in this street."

He said it was difficult to charge people who organised parties that developed into a riot with an offence, but a meeting of residents today would be used to look for a community solution to the problem.

Greg Petersen said that he and two friends were set upon at the party when about 20 drunken and heavily armed youths started attacking their car while the three were inside.

He said they covered their heads with their arms to block the blows, bottles and flying glass, as the attackers beat in the car's windows and lights with sticks, clubs and knives.

"I was in shock. I was thinking - what was happening? What did we do?

"I was waiting for a gun to go off. I felt like I was going to die - I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk and I couldn't walk," Mr Petersen said.

Their attackers severely beat the three terrified teenagers for about five minutes during which time Mr Petersen was stabbed.

His friends escaped with severe bruising and cuts to their heads, necks and arms.

In another incident at the party a man was struck in the neck with a broken bottle at midnight.

He was also taken to hospital and later discharged.

Union St resident Roy Burke said the residents were fearful and fed up with the antics of one family he said had held a series of raucous parties the police had had to attend.

"We have a real community problem here," he said.

"There's deep concern about these events.

"There's always been the fear that someone was going to get hurt and this time they were."

The owner of the house where the party was held could not be contacted.