Two guilty of assault

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 5

Two guilty of assault

A Devil’s Henchmen motor-cycle group member and an associate were yesterday found guilty by a jury of a charge under the Crimes Act of assaulting a former member, Colin Leonard Quirke, at the club’s premises in Kilmore Street about 2 a.m., last December 5. The defendants were Steven Wayne Morrison, aged 22, unemployed (Mr P. H. B. Hall), and an associate of the group, Rex Bruce White, aged 25, a labourer (Mr E. Bedo). Judge Fraser remanded the two on bail to July 19 for a probation report and sentence. Evidence in the trial was heard on Thursday and the jury retired to consider its verdict after hearing counsels’ addresses and the Judge’s summing up yesterday. The • two had been scheduled originally to stand trial on this charge with two others, Keith John Knight, aged 22, a process worker; and Mark Andrew Sutherland, aged 26, a mechanic (both represented by Mr M. J. Glue). However, Knight and Sutherland changed their pleas to guilty before the trial and were remanded in custody to July 8 for probation reports and sentence. The four originally had been charged with wounding Mr Quirke with intent to

cause grievous bodily harm, but were discharged on this charge at a depositions hearing, and committed for trial on the lesser charge of assault. Mr N. W. Williamson appeared for the Crown. Crown evidence was that Mr Quirke had been invited to the club’s headquarters and, when about to leave at 2 a.m., found the front gates locked. Sutherland then spoke to him about a girlfriend and punched him. In the ensuing fight the other defendants, and other gang members who he could not recognise, pushed him to the ground and he was kicked and punched. He was knified from behind in the back of a leg and later found he had six stab wounds. Another member tied a tourniquet around his leg; he was taken to hospital and underwent surgery. Morrison and White, in evidence, denied any knowledge of the incident. White said he did not know Mr Quirke was having a fight with Sutherland. He never saw anything happening on the property. Morrison said he did not see Quirke leave and did not recall him at the premises during the evening. He had been told there was an incident outside, and not to go out because the police were there.