Boyracers admit part in golf course row

All four offenders have now admitted their part in a confrontation between a carload of boy-racers and outraged golfers and picnickers at Charteris Bay on the southern shoreline of Lyttelton Harbour last year.

A guilty plea in Christchurch District Court today by Tony Tonihi meant the last of them did not proceed with a two-day defended hearing before a judge, Christchurch Court News website reported.

Judge Stephen Erber remanded 17-year-old Tonihi in custody for a probation officer's report and sentence on May 5 after he admitted charges of possessing an offensive weapon, wilful damage, and intimidation.

He has been in custody since his arrest soon after the incident in November.

Two co-offenders pleaded guilty earlier and have been dealt with. One of them, Daniel Joseph Avery, was jailed for 16 months, and 18-year-old Marvelle Francis Jackson got a year's home detention after serving time in custody on remand.

Since then, 17-year-old Harley George Linton has also pleaded guilty to charges of wilful damage, threatening, and assault and has been remanded on bail for sentence on May 26.

The incident near Orton Bradley Park, a popular family picnicking spot, had one bizarre twist: one of the youths was wearing a rubber wolf mask.

Tonihi was a passenger in the car which was seen fishtailing on the grass at the Charteris Bay Golf Club, about 4pm on November 14. People, including children, were narrowly missed by the vehicle, according to the police.

Members of the public defended themselves by brandishing golf clubs and there was a verbal exchange. The vehicle was driven at a complainant who was trying to take a photograph on his cellphone.

The group got out of the car brandishing an array of weapons: a hammer, bat, and wheel brace. Tonihi yelled obscenities and threatened to kill the people present, and said he would return to get them.

"This continued until he was confronted by a large group of members of the public," the police said.

The boy-racers then left but stopped outside the main gate where they smashed all the windows of a parked car, causing damage totalling $2545.

As their car sped away along the Teddington Road, the driver lost control causing it to fishtail, crash into a wire fence, and flip. The four youths took off on foot but were tracked and caught by police.

- NZPA