Victim died defending friend

released publicly for the first time as the gang member, Auckland man George Junior Pikaahu, 34, originally charged with murder, admitted a charge of manslaughter for his part in Lynch’s death.

Pikaahu was secretary of the South Central Chapter of the Rebels MC gang, and had been at Club Envy during a visit to Blenheim with a large group of gang members, a police summary of facts said.

Unknown to Pikaahu at the time, two Rebels members on their way out of the club had knocked a Tongan seasonal worker unconscious stairwell.

Zachary Faumuina, 29, had punched the worker in the face without warning or provocation, before Brandon Joiner, 37, stood over the unconscious man and kicked him twice in the face.

The seasonal worker was at the club with a large group of in the

Tongan seasonal workers, in the country on the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE).

Once outside the club, where the Rebels were heading for their vehicles on Market St, Lynch and a friend heard about the assault in the stairwell. They approached a trailing member of the Rebels group about 3am, and punched him to the back of the head from behind, the summary said.

Pikaahu, who was about 5m in front, ran to help the gang member, pulling a 24cm knife from his waistband. He lunged at the RSE workers, wounding Lynch’s

BRYA INGRAM/STUFF friend in the stomach.

He fell to the ground, and Lynch moved between his friend and Pikaahu, who then stabbed Lynch.

A large brawl quickly developed, with multiple skirmishes between Rebels and RSE workers, the summary said.

Pikaahu concealed the knife in his waistband, and crossed the road at the corner of Main St and Market St, where another gang member was having a fist fight with another RSE worker.

Pikaahu then pulled the knife