KEY POINTS:
Almost 50 people, including 10 facing a charge of rioting, were called in the Dunedin District Court today following last weekend's drunken mayhem in North Dunedin.
Sixteen of the 48 male defendants, all aged between 18 and 24, appeared before Judge Stephen O'Driscoll in a fast-paced court sitting that was over by lunchtime.
Only five of the 10 charged with rioting appeared in court and police prosecutor Sergeant Amelia Steel later told media some might not yet know they faced that charge because police had only reviewed their cases in the past few days and there had not been time to serve all of the summons.
Some of the 10 charged faced other charges including assaulting a police officer, stealing an eftpos machine and disorderly behaviour causing violence.
The 10 charged with rioting are: Andrew Radford Hope, 20, of Dunedin; Christopher Ryan James, 21, of Dunedin; Leon Johnson, 20, of Green Island; Ariel Kruger, 18, of Dunedin; Alexander William MacKenzie, 22, a heavy truck driver, from Ashburton; Timothy Howden Maynard, 19, of Invercargill; Isaac James McCleary, 19, of Dunedin; Joseph Murray-Cullen, 21, of Kaiapoi; Andrew James Sim, 24, of Christchurch; and Gary Alan Thompson, 22, concrete worker, of Owaka.
No occupations were given for the men other than for MacKenzie and Thompson.
All those facing riot charges are scheduled to appear in the Dunedin District Court on September 25.
Nine men facing lesser charges had their hearings adjourned to October while they sought diversion.
Fourteen people from other parts of the country who indicated they would plead guilty to lesser charges were allowed to transfer their cases to courts in Christchurch, Wellington, Gore, Alexandra and Queenstown.
Three others had already had their hearings transferred out of town before yesterday's sitting.
Most of the charges were for disorderly behaviour and disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence to property and people.
Phillip Raymond Telfer, 19, unemployed, of Te Awamutu, was the only man dealt with today.
He pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour in Hyde St on August 26 and was fined $500, court costs $130.
Of the 51 charged in relation to the weekend's events, 24 people were listed as coming from Dunedin and 16 from Christchurch.
Inspector Alastair Dickie, of Dunedin, said some cases from the weekend were still being reviewed and there was still the possibility further riot charges would be laid.
A team of police staff would start reviewing footage again next week to see of there were any further arrests to be made, he said.
- NZPA
