The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Napier men in their 90s knock on Mongrel Mob pad door, pleading for safer city for kids

By Sahiban Hyde
Hawkes Bay Today·
19 Feb, 2020 12:35 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Pat Magill (R) and Rev Matt Eru take on the gangs to make Napier more child-friendly. Photo / Paul Taylor

Pat Magill (R) and Rev Matt Eru take on the gangs to make Napier more child-friendly. Photo / Paul Taylor

Two men in their 90s walked up to a Napier Mongrel Mob pad on Wednesday and knocked on the door.

It's not a sight you see every day, but veteran social justice campaigner Pat Magill and Reverend Matt Eru were determined.

They had one main goal in mind - putting a stop to simmering gang tension between the Mob and Black Power in Napier with a "peace treaty", for the sake of the city's children.

"The kaumatua wants gangs to get on with each other, we want peace within the gangs," Magill said.

The Mongrel Mob gang-pad on Percy Spiller Ave, Maraenui. Photo / NZME
The Mongrel Mob gang-pad on Percy Spiller Ave, Maraenui. Photo / NZME
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Magill, 94, has been campaigning for a safer, child-friendly Napier/Ahuriri since the 1970s.

He's so well known in the community, many inside the Mongrel Mob Aotearoa pad on Percy Spiller Ave, Maraenui, knew who was at the door.

That's despite Magill not providing much warning that he was coming, beyond a paper note on their doorstep on Tuesday.

READ MORE:
• Stalwart Pat Magill still treks the long road in Napier
• Pat Magill, 93, prepares for what will likely be his last Unity Walk
• Napier man, 92, has a lifelong dream of NZ unity: Is it finally happening?
• Walk for unity in Napier attracts people wanting a kinder world

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Magill and Eru told Hawke's Bay Today they were welcomed with "open arms" and their meeting went well, although they were reluctant elaborate much further.

The duo then travelled to the house of Black Power life member Denis O'Reilly to promote their cause.

With the aid of a presentation from the rangatahi from Maraenui Bilingual School about what they wanted from their city, they got their point across.

"We need to look at why they [youth] were joining gangs in the first place," Macgill said.

"It's because the system is too tough and they are looking for leadership," he said.

"Gangs should have a peace treaty so children can feel safe and have a better life."

He said it was only when "s*** hit the fan" that people got up and took notice, but it was time to change that.

"Our role is to represent the children."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Social justice campaigner Pat Magill (R) and Rev Matt Eru have a korero with Black Power life member Denis O'Reilly. Photo / Paul Taylor
Social justice campaigner Pat Magill (R) and Rev Matt Eru have a korero with Black Power life member Denis O'Reilly. Photo / Paul Taylor

Through the presentation Magill said youth felt that adults did not listen to them.

"They are not being heard. They see what is happening and are the essence to the solutions of their own needs," Magill said.

"Maybe we need to stop selling alcohol and smokes, maybe we need education on alcohol, drug, health and safety awareness and prevention as well as everyday skills for a healthy lifestyle."

The presentation stated "the police need to know us better like a friend or a family member".

The overarching theme of the presentation was that lack of resources and a clean, safe neighbourhood without drugs, alcohol and gang influences was limiting young people to reach their full potential "like closing them in a box and in that box they will remain".

Magill said the meetings with O'Reilly and Mob leaders was "positive" and he hoped to have more of them in the future.

"There was heaps of goodwill there and we need to bring out that good," he said.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from The Country

The Country

NZ shearers take the UK by storm on tour

10 Jul 03:27 AM
The Country

Tasman farm 'looks more like a riverbed' after flooding

10 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country

The Country: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth sings the praises of young farmers

10 Jul 02:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

NZ shearers take the UK by storm on tour

NZ shearers take the UK by storm on tour

10 Jul 03:27 AM

Toa Henderson and Jack Fagan beat England by 4.3 points at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Tasman farm 'looks more like a riverbed' after flooding

Tasman farm 'looks more like a riverbed' after flooding

10 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth sings the praises of young farmers

The Country: Dr Jacqueline Rowarth sings the praises of young farmers

10 Jul 02:00 AM
Australian regulator clears Lactalis' proposed acquisition of Fonterra businesses

Australian regulator clears Lactalis' proposed acquisition of Fonterra businesses

10 Jul 12:48 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP