Murder charges have been dropped against a senior Taranaki Black Power member after he agreed to testify against four other gang members.
Ricky Ricardo Murray, 37, was one of five men arrested for the fatal stabbing of New Plymouth man Peri Niwa last year.
He had previously appeared in court alongside co-accused, Rangi Rick Brown, 38, Matiu Joseph Pahau, 21, Adrian Fenton, 25, and Mahana Edmonds, 38. But at a depositions hearing in New Plymouth District Court yesterday charges were dropped, the Taranaki Daily News reported.
Prosecutor Cherie Clarke said Murray was not present during the attack but Pahau had later told him he had stabbed Mr Niwa to death.
The Crown alleges Mr Niwa was killed at a party on Blagdon Rd in November. He had given a Mongrel Mob t-shirt to a friend who wore it to the party.
Black Power were contacted and arrived carrying weapons, chasing Mr Niwa and his friends down a driveway. Mr Niwa tripped and was stabbed while trying to escape by climbing through a broken window.
