Christchurch gang member Enzed Beazley guilty of aggravated robbery in Aranui

The Crown said two men, both wearing Black Power patches, were involved in the robbery.

A Black Power member has been found guilty of an aggravated robbery in a suburban Christchurch garage.

While Enzed Beazley denied involvement and instead claimed he was “having a word” with someone about a cannabis operation, a jury took just two hours today to unanimously reject his defence.

It followed a four-day trial in the Christchurch District Court during which he stood alongside Khan Mcfarlane, also charged with the October 2023 robbery at an Aranui address.

Mcfarlane had denied being at the address and was found not guilty.

The Crown claimed Mcfarlane was involved after he was allegedly found with a gun they said was linked to the robbery.

Following the verdicts, Judge Tom Gilbert told the jury there would be a sentence of imprisonment for Beazley.

The trial heard that two victims, who were flatmates, were robbed of $1200 cash, cigarettes and an Xbox controller while a gun was allegedly brandished at them.

The victims testified that they had encountered Beazley and another man in their garage, and a robbery ensued.

Both men were wearing Black Power gang patches and one had his face covered with a ski mask.

Beazley was identified by one of the victims during a 111 call that was played at the trial.

The jury heard Beazley had grabbed one victim and told him, “Where is your stuff? We are going to take your stuff.”

The other victim then grabbed a machete and told the gang members to leave.

Beazley’s accomplice allegedly opened a gun he had been holding to show a bullet in the chamber before pointing it at one of the victims.

Beazley grabbed the man and put his hands in his pocket, removing $1200 cash from his wallet.

He then grabbed the victim’s hand and tried to force a ring from his finger before leaving the property.

Beazley testified he lived near the victims and that he had heard cannabis was being sold from their property.

He said he had gone there intending to put a stop to the cannabis operation.

The Crown said he was at the address, but not to talk about the operation.

He had been involved in similar offending in 2020, described as “brazen” where he made no effort to conceal his identity.

The jury heard a broad physical description fitted Mcfarlane with an assertion by the victims that he had a tā moko.

But Mcfarlane‘s lawyer Thomas Harre said his client had nothing to do with the incident and there was no evidence to prove his involvement.

The only thing the victims could see was a section of the mystery man’s nose, Harre said.

Beazley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14.

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the HC Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of Cook Islands News.