Devils Henchmen gang property in Timaru fails to sell

The Devils Henchmen MC sold their clubhouse land to the local council during an armed takeover by the rival Rebels gang.

The site of a former high-profile South Island bikie gang pad, which was sold to the local council by old bikers after a rival gang muscled in, has failed to sell.

The Devils Henchmen Motorcycle Club, whose origins date back 50 years, were based at a fortified clubhouse on the outskirts of Timaru.

They occupied a large piece of land on Meadows Rd, Washdyke, complete with a two-storey pad housing a fully equipped bar.

But in May the old Devils Henchmen gang members faced an invasion when a group of rival Rebels MC gang members came from Christchurch, armed with shotguns, and took over the property.

They kicked out the Henchmen, stole some motorcycles, and soon draped a Rebels flag from the top-floor balcony, sparking police and community fears of escalated gang tensions in the South Canterbury town.

Heavy machinery started to demolish the buildings on the site as soon as the sale went through. Photo / Supplied

But over the next few days, as the Herald exclusively reported, the Henchmen brokered a deal to sell the property to Timaru District Council for more than $1 million, which resulted in the red-faced Rebels being booted out and the buildings being demolished by bulldozers. All but one of the Rebels in Christchurch would patch over to the Comancheros a month later.

On May 16, the local authority confirmed it had bought the 8766sq m Meadows Rd property.

With a September 2020 capital value of $1.26 million, according to qv.co.nz, the council wouldn’t disclose the final figure, but the Herald understands it was closer to $1.8m.

Devils Henchmen MC members ride through Timaru in 1979 after the death of then Timaru chapter president D. Foster. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Within hours of the sale going through, trespass notices for the land were issued and then the diggers rumbled straight in.

In July, the property at 90 Meadows Rd surfaced for sale, along with a neighbouring site.

The properties are “high-profile and sought-after sites with excellent development potential”, the council said, and are zoned Industrial H, which allows for a wide range of uses, including heavy and light industrial, storage, and distribution.

“They offer access to water, power and fibre internet, have excellent access to State Highway 1, and are just a short distance from the Timaru CBD and the port,” the council said at the time.

But local mayor Nigel Bowen, who has been outspoken on gangs in the region, said the land has not yet been sold.

“We are looking to put the smaller holdings on the market through an agent before the end of the year and plan on holding the larger parcel for the short term,” he said.

The properties were being sold by private tender.

- Kurt Bayer is NZME South Island Head of News based in Christchurch. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2011.