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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."