Nazi salute in court as tensions spill over
12:33PM Thursday February 07, 2008
A Nazi salute was delivered as gang tensions spilled into a court today when two brothers accused of a drive-by shooting appeared in the dock.
The police had a strong presence inside and outside the courtroom and bundled about 12 rival gang associates out of the Court House.
"I'm advised tensions are running high and we have seen a demonstration of that this morning," said Christchurch District Court Judge Raoul Neave.
One of the accused in the dock, Christopher Allan McKenzie, hurled abuse at the judge as he was remanded in custody for six days.
He called the judge a name and grumbled, "I didn't consent to nothing."
The shaven-headed 30-year-old had already delivered a Nazi salute to people being cleared from the courtroom, who had stood and begun mouthing threats to the pair in the dock as soon as they came into the room.
Christopher McKenzie and his brother Daniel Robert McKenzie, 25, both of Sydenham, were jointly charged with discharging a firearm at Wendy May Stewart yesterday with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
They entered no plea and were remanded in custody to February 13 after police opposed them being granted bail.
Both were listed on the charge sheets as unemployed, but duty solicitor Steve Hembrow said Christopher McKenzie did have a job, and his brother was in poor health and had doctor's appointments.
He said the charges were denied and asked that the judge allow a bail application to be re-argued once the pair had a lawyer and he had considered the police allegations.
"The display of the defendants in the dock has not impressed me about their future behaviour," said Judge Neave.
There was another incident of shouting and threats inside the Court House doors an hour later. Police and court security staff separated the groups and settled it down.
Before the appearance, police alleged that shots were fired from a passing car in Hampshire Street, Aranui, yesterday, while children were playing nearby.
Several people were arrested later in the day by the Armed Offenders Squad at a house in Linwood.
- NZPA
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