From the Nelson Mail:

Police watching ‘extreme’ group
Thursday, 3 May 2007

Nelson police have been keeping a close eye on a small group of people they claim are white supremacists, including two men jailed this week for an attack on three Asian students.

However, women who know the two Nelson men say they are not monsters or white supremacists, and that they know different sides to them.

Daniel Bryan Kitto, 20, was sentenced to eight months in prison and his 28-year-old friend Harry Shannon Dennis McCormack received 12 months for the March 17 attack on three Korean students from Nelson College.

McCormack kicked one of the teenagers in the head and punched another, while Kitto punched the third.

Nelson Bays police area commander Inspector Brian McGurk said the men were part of a group of about six people who were “well known” to police and had been involved in a number of different crimes.

He said the group had no recognised headquarters and was not organised.

“They are just basically a group of people with very extreme views that are offensive to most right-thinking people.”

During the court sentencing this week, Judge McKegg said McCormack was the dominant player in the attacks, and while he had an extensive record of previous offending, it was not for violence.

Kitto’s record was more limited but he had a previous violence conviction, for assault with a weapon.

Kitto’s aunt, Nelson woman Helen Macale, said her nephew was “easily led” and made a wrong choice while trying to impress his mates.

“Underneath this, we know a different kid than what’s been portrayed,” Ms Macale said.

“He thought he was trying to prove something to his mates. He’s made a wrong choice and now he’s paying for that.”

Ms Macale said Kitto, a labourer, was not a white supremacist or a member of any gang.

Her daughter had a part-Asian baby, and Kitto was “fine” with that, but he had friends who were white supremacists, she said.

McCormack’s partner Amy Alexander said that while the men were in the wrong, she felt that the picture being painted of McCormack was not accurate.

She said she felt embarrassed by the suggestion that McCormack, a painter, was a white supremacist. He was not, and was not in a gang.

“I’m part Maori and if he was racist, why would he be with me?” Miss Alexander said.

“The thing is that nobody knows them and everyone’s kind of got their own ugly picture drawn of them now, and it’s not very fair.

“It’s really unfortunate because he’s a really good person. He hasn’t been in trouble for a long time.”

Both men have been granted leave to apply for home detention.