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Dramatic day for murder inquiry team
30 April 2005
By ELEANOR WILSON, KIM THOMAS and AMANDA WARREN

Police are tightening the net around a 31-year-old man sought over the death of former gang president Ricky "Boof" Burnard in this week's execution-style shooting in Christchurch.


Police were called to a car "of interest" burning in a Redwood paddock about 4.30am yesterday and later said they were looking for Anthony Kevin Peters, 31, of Christchurch, whom they knew had been using the car.

Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Long said Peters was "possibly dangerous" and should not be approached.

A firearm used to shoot Burnard, a former president of the Timaru Road Knights, had still not been found, he said, "and the public should call police immediately if they have information as to where (Peters) is".

Peters, also known as "Blobby" or "Ants", is a male caucasian, 165cm tall, of medium build.

In another dramatic development yesterday, police captured escaped prisoner and former Road Knights gang member Anthony James Brooking, 34, after a police chase near Ferrymead, Christchurch.

Members of the Armed Offenders Squad swooped on Brooking at 3.30pm, pinning him down on the banks of the Heathcote River by Ferry Road after he jumped from a moving car they were pursuing.

AdvertisementAdvertisementBrooking, who was on remand in Christchurch Remand Prison on serious charges, has been on the run since the weekend when he failed to return from compassionate leave to attend his grandmother's funeral.

That is now thought to be a fabrication.

Brooking and Burnard have long known each other and as early as last year were fellow defendants in a major drug trial which resulted from an investigation, called Operation Diablo, into a methamphetamine manufacturing ring in Christchurch.

Both were discharged from the prosecution after the depositions stage, due to lack of evidence.

Police have consistently refused to expand on Brooking's role in the investigation into Burnard's death and his absconding was not mentioned in media releases about the homicide.

Police also did not disclose yesterday that Peters is wanted for an assault on Burnard on Wednesday when Burnard was killed in Stanmore Road about 5am.

This emerged yesterday in the Christchurch District Court where police sought a warrant for Peters's arrest in lieu of a summons on a charge of assaulting Burnard.

In another matter, a 35-year-old woman, also charged with assaulting Burnard on the day he was killed, appeared in the Christchurch court and was denied bail after police voiced fears for her safety and that of other witnesses.

The court heard she is not thought by the police to have fired the shots that killed Burnard.

Sergeant Jeff Kay opposed bail, saying the investigation into Burnard's death was at a "very, very delicate stage".

"The police do have fears in relation to the destruction of evidence and possibly interference with witnesses. I think the court can take the inference that these fears are real," Kay said.

Judge Michael Crosbie said the woman had been at the scene of the murder of one of Christchurch's most determined criminals, with wide and varied connections and involved in a large number of Christchurch-based drug investigations over the last 30 months.

It appeared more serious charges against her were likely.

"There is an underlying theme of threats, ongoing investigation in the context of a significant organised criminal gang. It's my assessment that the concerns set out by the police are well made out," he said.

Brooking was spotted by a police patrol car as he travelled through Woolston with a female driver in a car "borrowed" from a car yard for a test drive.

The driver initially failed to stop for police but eventually pulled over after Brooking jumped from the moving vehicle and ran off, Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Wormald said.

The area was cordoned off, Armed Offenders Squad officers were deployed and Brooking was found hiding under bushes, he said.

Brooking will appear in the Christchurch District Court today, but police did not specify what charges he would face. The female driver had been charged with aiding and abetting an escaped prisoner, Wormald said.

National Party law and order spokesman Tony Ryall called for an immediate inquiry into the process which allowed prison inmates to apply for the sort of compassionate leave abused by Brooking, who was supposed to have been supervised by his sister.

Ryall acknowledged it was not unusual for an inmate to be granted leave in the custody of a family member but questioned the release of an inmate, such as Brooking, who was facing serious charges.

"We've got a revolving door prison system, but we don't need to lay out the red carpet as well."

In response to questions from The Press on why a prisoner would be released from remand without a prison escort, Tony Fisher, district courts general manager for the Ministry of Justice, said:

"The judge will decide what conditions if any will attach to bail. In deciding if and what conditions should apply, the judge will have regard to submissions made by both the prosecution and the defence counsel."

 

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