From the Nelson Mail:

‘White supremacists’ admit to attack in Nelson
Wednesday, 28 March 2007

Two men who police say are skinheads with white supremacist views are being held in custody after admitting a racially-motivated attack on three Asian students in Nelson.

Following the March 17 attack, 28-year-old Harry Shannon Dennis McCormack told police he did not like Asians and decided to stop outside the Nelson store where the assault happened because he wanted to hurt the students. Daniel Bryan Kitto, 20, told police he joined in the assault because he was trying to prove something to his mates, a court heard on Monday.

McCormack, a painter, and Kitto, a labourer, each admitted a charge of assault with intent to injure and two counts of assault when they appeared in the Nelson District Court.

Both Nelson men were convicted and remanded in custody until May 1 for sentencing.

McCormack sought bail, but Judge David McKegg refused, saying McCormack had just admitted a “violent unprovoked racially-motivated attack”.

Prosecutor Sergeant Chris Stringer said on the afternoon of March 17 Kitto and McCormack were in a car with three other people when they saw the three Asian victims, aged between 14 and 16, in Buxton Square.

The men yelled abuse and racial taunts at the Asians, telling them to “go home”, Mr Stringer said.

The Asian trio walked along Waimea Rd and sat outside the Night Owl store, when Kitto and McCormack came upon them again.

McCormack, who was driving the vehicle, stopped and got out, and as he approached the Asians somebody from the vehicle was heard to say “we’ve been looking for you”, Mr Stringer said.

He said McCormack, who was wearing heavy boots, kicked one of the boys in the face, and then punched a second boy. Kitto, who had also got out of the car, punched the third boy, Mr Stringer said.

Kitto and McCormack got back in the car and drove off but were found later that night by police and admitted what happened, also saying there had been a verbal altercation in the carpark, Mr Stringer said.

He said McCormack told police he did not think the kick was particularly serious, and that he had been the victim of that type of assault in the past and had not been badly injured.

The 15-year-old who was kicked suffered a cut to the inside of this mouth that needed three stitches, while the other two victims were not injured by the punches.