A violent melee broke out in the High Court in Napier involving three men leaping over a 2-metre glass barrier and attacking a defendant as he stood in the dock.

The attack occurred on Monday afternoon in a hearing before Justice Helen McQueen. The nature of the hearing cannot be disclosed at this stage.

The assault occurred suddenly towards the end of the hearing, which had been attended by a large number of family members of the man’s victim.

The gallery suddenly burst into yelling and screaming and several people rushed towards the glass barrier. One man climbed over the barrier, followed by two others.

There were prison guards inside the body of the court and court security outside the glass barriers. There were also two detectives in the body of the court.

But the men overcame all attempts to restrain them and rained down punches and kicks to the man as he stood in the dock, then continued their attack as the man crumbled to the floor.

One of the men picked up a row of chairs and slammed it down on the defendant as he lay prone.

One of the attackers then fled the body of the court while the other two walked to the jury box, where one lit a cigarette before the detectives could extinguish it and arrest both of them and put them in handcuffs.

As the melee started Justice McQueen was able to leave the court.

A Probations officer was shaken and in tears as one of two journalists present comforted her, while a prison guard suffered a knee injury and had to be tended to by paramedics.

Police cars carrying about 8 officers arrived at the court after the incident had wound down.

The defendant was last seen in a motionless state being tended to by one of the prison officers.

The hearing resumed briefly Monday afternoon to wrap matters up.

[–] luthis 4 points 1 year ago

You could be right.

[–] Ilovethebomb 2 points 1 year ago

The line about family members of the victim makes it sound like vigilante justice to me, I guess we will find out soon enough.