Bashing for threat to ‘niece’

Rory Ruddell knew straight away he was going to get a a serious beating when a car load of men arrived at a house where he was attempting to sell dive gear.

The attack was carried out at Tahurangi Pl, New Plymouth on August 13, 2016 and Ruddell suffered a broken nose and a fractured eye socket, cheek bone and six ribs.

Three men with links to the Black Power gang, Laurence Te Ruki, William Pouha and Zinzan Tamou, went on trial before Judge Chris Sygrove and a jury in the New Plymouth District Court on Monday charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Ruddell and participating in an organised criminal group.

The trio all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In his opening address Crown prosecutor Justin Marinovich told the jury of eight men and four women that Pouha was the president of the Christchurch Black Power while Te Ruki was a patched member of the gang’s Taranaki chapter.

Marinovich said while three other men had physically carried out the attack, the trio on trial had played their part by arranging for Ruddell to be at the house, organising it and encouraging them.

Ruddell told Marinovich he had gone to the house, where Tamou lived, to sell some dive gear but as soon as he got there another car pulled up and four men got out.

‘‘I just put my hands out and said lets get it over with, I knew what they were doing,’’ Ruddell said.

‘‘I have been in a gang for a long time, I know what is happening when it’s happening.’’

Ruddell said he didn’t recognise the men but one of his attackers wore a Queensland rugby league jersey while another, Te Ruki, had on a Black Power vest, which he described as very clean.

‘‘He obviously hadn’t done much dirty work in his time.’’

He didn’t remember which of the men threw the first punch but said it hit him in the head.

‘‘I just went down to my knees and let them go at it.’’

Ruddell said he didn’t lose consciousness while three of the men rained down punches and kicks on him for about ten minutes while Te Ruki and Tamou watched on.

One of the assailants then kneeled down and put a cellphone in front of Ruddell - a voice on the other end explained to him he was getting the beating because he had taken a firearm to a house where Pouha’s ‘‘niece’’ lived and threatened her in relation to some Chinese drug dealers in Christchurch.

He told the court he recognised the number as Pouha’s, who was the president of the Black Power movement in the South Island.

After the call Ruddell said he was assaulted again before getting back in the ute he arrived in and heading back to Waitara where he was staying. He said going to hospital was not an option.

In cross-examination by Pouha’s defence lawyer Kiran Paima, Ruddell maintained the attack had come as a surprise and he had no prior notice.

He admitted there were text messages sent to and from his phone in the days leading up to the attack that appeared to warn it was coming but said he couldn’t recall receiving or sending them .

Ruddell also denied he was involved in the manufacture, sale or use of synthetic cannabis.

Te Ruki and the three other men drove off from the house following the attack but were stopped by police and arrested a short distance away.

In June 2017 Jason Sean King, Damien Aaron Ngataierua and Hohaia Tara Joe Tane were all sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment for assaulting Ruddell.

The trial is set down for the rest of the week.