Five people were arrested on March 27 after they allegedly returned with paint cans to the rainbow crossing in Gisborne that had been restored following a paint-over by protesters earlier in the week. File picture
Six people charged with offences connected to the rainbow crossing in Gladstone Road in the city centre pleaded not guilty in Gisborne District Court yesterday.
The alleged offences relate to incidents on separate dates last month.
Leighton Packer, 45, is jointly charged with Ernest Murray Packer, 46, Wayne Pohatu, 50, and
Christopher Robert Fawcett, with intentionally damaging (by painting over it) a rainbow street painting belonging to Gisborne District Council on March 25.
Leighton and Ernest Packer are jointly charged with William Montgomery Gosset Grace, 54, and James Stanley Mikara, 45, of preparing to commit an imprisonable offence in the same location on March 27.
The defendants will reappear for separate case review hearings — one for each charge — on May 29.
