Alleged kidnap victim’s location was unknown
When Dawson Reihana sneaked a cellphone from his “guard” and phoned police communications to tell them he had been kidnapped and bashed by Mongrel Mob members, he did not know where he was.
Finding him was the puzzle police faced early on the morning of August 9, 2015, at the start of what became the Operation Vale investigation which is now playing out as a three-week trial in the High Court.
Reihana, 35, told police he had been bashed with hammers and knuckledusters, punched and stomped, while he was held at addresses in Ajax Street, Shirley, and then overnight at an address in Bowenvale Avenue, Cashmere. He said he was transported between addresses in a van, and was asked about his friends’ addresses.
Seven men are on trial for allegedly kidnapping or bashing Reihana, who is associated with the Notorious Mongrel Mob chapter. The men on trial are members or have links to the Aotearoa chapter.
Before the court, after pleading not guilty to all charges, are Matthew Joshua Mulvey, 35, Leon Delshannon Turner, 41, a builder, Peter Damian Gilbert, 46, a concrete worker, August Keefe, 57, Mathew James Rowe, 41, a bricklayer, Jason Phillip Reweti, 35, a labourer, and Dylan Raymond Shannon Corbin, 27.
All are charged with kidnapping Reihana. Mulvey, Turner, and Gilbert are charged with wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. All except Keefe are charged with injuring him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The second day of the trial before Justice Cameron Mander and a jury was told by police witnesses that they were alerted by police communications to “a kidnapping in Cashmere”.
The Crown told the trial yesterday that Reihana – already bashed and injured – had managed to get to the work cellphone of the man left “guarding” him at a Bowenvale Avenue address, Reweti, after Reweti fell asleep. He called 111.
Police said the location of the caller was unknown, and Reihana did not know. Police checked the cellphone signal and narrowed it down to a 1km radius of a cellphone tower in Cashmere.
Units including armed police headed into the area, stopped a Mongrel Mob vehicle leaving the area, and also decided that the location could be a Mob house in Bowenvale Avenue.
Police witnesses said they surrounded the house and stopped two men seen leaving the house, and then found Reihana himself walking out. He was taken to hospital.
Detective Donavan Aitken told of questioning Mulvey who was arrested for assault after being found at another address. When Mulvey was told of the allegation by Reihana that he had been “kneecapped”, he replied: “He’s got an active imagination.”
Dr Christine Quigley told of Reihana being brought to the Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department by ambulance on August 9, with obvious injuries. He had extensive bruising to his face and was complaining of “pain in multiple areas”.
There was bruising around his eyes and they were swollen shut. He had several lacerations to his head including one where the tissue had been lost, leaving a small hole 2cm by 1.5cm. He had bruising to his chest wall and stomach area, and left knee.
X-rays and scans showed the only broken bone was a nasal fracture, which did not need surgery.
Dr Quigley said Reihana was “calm and co-operative”, and was fully conscious.
There were mild head injuries, with several lacerations and a fair amount of soft tissue swelling, she said when cross-examined by a defence lawyer who asked about the extent of injuries that might be expected if someone had been bashed by claw hammers.
The trial will continue with evidence from Reihana on Monday morning.
Category: Focus
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