Five arrested in Pipiriki

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 38, 13 March 1984, Page 2

Five arrested in Pipiriki

The funeral of a local man — following a forestry accident which we reported last week — had a sickening sequel when members of the Mangere Mongrel Mob returned to Pipiriki after spending the afternoon at the Raetihi Hotel. According to Raetihi constable, Kevin Entwisle, several members of the Mongrel Mob from different towns in the North Island had congregated in the Raetihi Hotel following the funeral of a former Mongrel Mob member, Francis TeWhetu Allen, in Pipiriki last Monday morning. Later that evening a small fight broke out in the hotel among gang members but when asked to leave they did so. Most of them returned to their home towns but a group of the Mangere members returned to Pipiriki that night. At 4.30 the following morning constable Entwisle received a call from Pipiriki and, after notifying Wanganui and Taihape police, he collected constable Brian Wilson from Ohakune and drove down the RaetihiPipiriki road. They waited on the outskirts of town for police reinforcements to arrive from Taihape. Another police team from Wanganui was also driving up the River Road to block

any escape route south but found the job had been done for them by a massive earth slip which had blocked the road. At 7.00am constables Entwisle and Wilson, now reinforced by their colleagues from Taihape stopped two cars driving towards Raetihi. One car and its five occupants were detained for questioning following the discovery of certain evidence found in the vehicle. Following enquiries in Pipiriki and further questioning at the Raetihi police station one person was charged with alleged rape and four were charged with receiving stolen goods. The four charged with burglary have been released on bail but the person charged with the alleged rape offence has been remanded in custody in Wanganui. A total of 19 police from Wanganui and Taihape were involved together with the two local constables. Ohakune's other constable, Marty Sutherland, was attending a High Court hearing in Wanganui.