Mob boss Shaun Te Kahu, 37, and mob member Barry James Pennicott, 27, have been jointly charged with arson and appeared on the fresh charges in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.They have also been jointly charged with aggravated burglary armed with a hammer and an air rifle of the Road Knights' headquarters, while Pennicott also faces two fresh theft charges.
The pair are among a group of mob members arrested on a raft of charges late last month.As well as the new charges laid yesterday, Te Kahu also faces two charges of theft of Harley Davidson motorbikes and two charges of intentionally damaging those motorbikes by fire, while Pennicott faces charges of intentionally damaging two motorbikes.Also appearing yesterday were Craig Arthur Reid, 36, and Pihama John Tauroa, 32, who are jointly charged with Pennicott on the intentional damage charges. None of the four men entered pleas to any of the charges, nor were any applications made for bail. All four were remanded in custody to July 15.Invercargill CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Cowie said the arson charges did not mean the end of the investigation into the fire."We're happy to get to this point but the investigation is ongoing." Yesterday's additional charges had been laid as a result of police investigations and in tracking down witnesses to the fire, he said.While police were still probing the Balmoral Dr fire they had also yet to conclude investigations into a house fire in Severn St next to the Mongrel Mob's headquarters two days after the initial fire, he said.The armed offenders squad, bolstered by police reinforcements from Dunedin, was maintaining a high presence on Invercargill streets to quash any potential gang flare-ups, Mr Cowie said.
The pair are among a group of mob members arrested on a raft of charges late last month.As well as the new charges laid yesterday, Te Kahu also faces two charges of theft of Harley Davidson motorbikes and two charges of intentionally damaging those motorbikes by fire, while Pennicott faces charges of intentionally damaging two motorbikes.Also appearing yesterday were Craig Arthur Reid, 36, and Pihama John Tauroa, 32, who are jointly charged with Pennicott on the intentional damage charges. None of the four men entered pleas to any of the charges, nor were any applications made for bail. All four were remanded in custody to July 15.Invercargill CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Cowie said the arson charges did not mean the end of the investigation into the fire."We're happy to get to this point but the investigation is ongoing." Yesterday's additional charges had been laid as a result of police investigations and in tracking down witnesses to the fire, he said.While police were still probing the Balmoral Dr fire they had also yet to conclude investigations into a house fire in Severn St next to the Mongrel Mob's headquarters two days after the initial fire, he said.The armed offenders squad, bolstered by police reinforcements from Dunedin, was maintaining a high presence on Invercargill streets to quash any potential gang flare-ups, Mr Cowie said.
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