Post by terauparaha on Feb 12, 2009 11:10:58 GMT 12
RHONDA MARKBY - South Canterbury | Thursday, 29 January 2009
JOHN Hardie is angry angry the courts are not making gangs accountable for the damage they cause.
Mr Hardie is thousands of dollars out of pocket after a two-day party at the Road Knights' gang headquarters in Timaru two years ago, and he is accusing the courts and district council of having two sets of rules one for the public, and one for gangs.
Only this week a handful of partygoers were convicted of unlawful assembly, with the largest fine imposed being $1500 for a person convicted of three charges of unlawful assembly.
For Mr Hardie, the aftermath of the party is a building he can not find a tenant for, and an overgrown yard complete with burnt-out wrecks.
Mr Hardie has owned the former periodic detention centre on High St, positioned between two Road Knights gang properties, for 12 years.
The two-day birthday party at the gang headquarters ended with vehicles and a boat in the yard of his building being set alight, glass and rubbish thrown on to the street and into his yard, and 17 people facing charges.
Over time charges were dropped. Three men pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful assembly after further charges, including arson, were withdrawn on Tuesday.
"It appears to me that if anyone in this town wants to hold a two-day party, set fire to cars in a neighbouring property, abuse police and fire service, then so be it, that is OK," Mr Hardie said.
He sees the $3000 fines the trio received as a cheap price to pay for a two-day party.
The tenant in his property at the time closed the door and walked away from his business.
The previous tenant also left because of gang intimidation. In that case a window was smashed and a hose put through the window, flooding the business.
"They (the gang) have told me they will decide who their neighbours are," Mr Hardie said.
He is angry none of those found guilty were ordered to pay reparation. While the arson charges were dropped, he believes those who organised the party should have to pay for the damage the partygoers caused including burning out a van, a ute, a scooter and a boat parked in the yard of his property. Those vehicles were worth more than the $3000 the three paid in fines this week.
Mr Hardie reckons the gang should also be paying up for the costs he has incurred through the loss of his tenant. That's about $23,000 two years lost rent and a couple of thousand dollars for cleaning up the mess the fire left in the yard. His two requests to the district council for rates remission have been unsuccessful as his request did not fit within the necessary legislation.
"And now I'm being asked by the council to clear the long grass in the same yard because the neighbours consider it to be a fire hazard."
Mr Hardie admits it probably is, but as the only neighbours are the Road Knights, those he considers are effectively responsible for the state of the property, he is not in a hurry to do anything.
"I'm now considering throwing a two-day party in the yard. We might even have some fireworks and loud music around the clock. The rubbish can just go over the fence or out into the road."
He suggests any fine he might incur could be split up among the partygoers.
The gang has offered to buy his property, but not at the $100,000 he wants for it.
"I'm not going to give it away," he said, explaining the building had a rateable value $20,000 more than he was asking.
Unable to let the property, Mr Hardie is considering offering it to Black Power.
The Road Knights were offered the chance to comment but did not respond.
JOHN Hardie is angry angry the courts are not making gangs accountable for the damage they cause.
Mr Hardie is thousands of dollars out of pocket after a two-day party at the Road Knights' gang headquarters in Timaru two years ago, and he is accusing the courts and district council of having two sets of rules one for the public, and one for gangs.
Only this week a handful of partygoers were convicted of unlawful assembly, with the largest fine imposed being $1500 for a person convicted of three charges of unlawful assembly.
For Mr Hardie, the aftermath of the party is a building he can not find a tenant for, and an overgrown yard complete with burnt-out wrecks.
Mr Hardie has owned the former periodic detention centre on High St, positioned between two Road Knights gang properties, for 12 years.
The two-day birthday party at the gang headquarters ended with vehicles and a boat in the yard of his building being set alight, glass and rubbish thrown on to the street and into his yard, and 17 people facing charges.
Over time charges were dropped. Three men pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful assembly after further charges, including arson, were withdrawn on Tuesday.
"It appears to me that if anyone in this town wants to hold a two-day party, set fire to cars in a neighbouring property, abuse police and fire service, then so be it, that is OK," Mr Hardie said.
He sees the $3000 fines the trio received as a cheap price to pay for a two-day party.
The tenant in his property at the time closed the door and walked away from his business.
The previous tenant also left because of gang intimidation. In that case a window was smashed and a hose put through the window, flooding the business.
"They (the gang) have told me they will decide who their neighbours are," Mr Hardie said.
He is angry none of those found guilty were ordered to pay reparation. While the arson charges were dropped, he believes those who organised the party should have to pay for the damage the partygoers caused including burning out a van, a ute, a scooter and a boat parked in the yard of his property. Those vehicles were worth more than the $3000 the three paid in fines this week.
Mr Hardie reckons the gang should also be paying up for the costs he has incurred through the loss of his tenant. That's about $23,000 two years lost rent and a couple of thousand dollars for cleaning up the mess the fire left in the yard. His two requests to the district council for rates remission have been unsuccessful as his request did not fit within the necessary legislation.
"And now I'm being asked by the council to clear the long grass in the same yard because the neighbours consider it to be a fire hazard."
Mr Hardie admits it probably is, but as the only neighbours are the Road Knights, those he considers are effectively responsible for the state of the property, he is not in a hurry to do anything.
"I'm now considering throwing a two-day party in the yard. We might even have some fireworks and loud music around the clock. The rubbish can just go over the fence or out into the road."
He suggests any fine he might incur could be split up among the partygoers.
The gang has offered to buy his property, but not at the $100,000 he wants for it.
"I'm not going to give it away," he said, explaining the building had a rateable value $20,000 more than he was asking.
Unable to let the property, Mr Hardie is considering offering it to Black Power.
The Road Knights were offered the chance to comment but did not respond.
