KEY POINTS:
All three men charged with damaging the Waihopai spy base were released on bail today in Blenheim District Court.
The three men, Samuel Peter Frederick Land, Adrian James Leason and Peter Reginald Leo Murnane were not considered a flight risk by Judge Denys Barry.
They jointly face two indictable charges of intentional damage and one of unlawful entry and were remanded for a pre-depositions hearing on June 9. They entered no plea.
The two lawyers acting for the three men argued that police were now satisfied there was no risk of the alleged offenders interfering with witnesses and were not a flight risk.
Outside the court Murnane said they were relieved to have been granted bail.
He revealed that the three men had all been wearing poppies on Wednesday morning last week when they set about deflating one of the two balloons surrounding the satellite dishes.
"The people who died (as Anzac soldiers) died against tyranny. We wore red poppies when we did the job and we were proud of that, it is the same tradition," Murnane said.
A group of about 15 protesters, waving placards and banners marched through Blenheim before the court appearance this morning and again on the steps of the court house after the men's release.
The trio were ordered not to associate with each other, not to go within 100 metres of a military base and not to visit Marlborough other than for court appearances or to see their solicitors.
- NZPA
