escalating violence in our community Become a member of the Sensible Sentencing Trust

Mouseover links for full page descriptions

Offender Databases Ivan Gugich

Ivan Barry Gugich

Alias

.

Offences

Grevious Bodily Harm on a Nelson man in November 1997
Tortured with a knife, cut across his scalp, and his finger hacked off

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

Leighton Wilding
Greg Dunnill

Gang affiliations

Fourth Reich/ skinheads

Age

Born 1970

Current Location

At large in Christchurch region

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to eight years in May 1998
Released December 2003

Background
From The Press
The Nazi-inspired gang was formed in Paparua Prison, near Christchurch, in 1994. One source said it grew not out of racial hatred, but the need to prevent "white guys being monstered" by other factions. Wilding was one of about six founders and, as master-at-arms, was in charge of weapons. He was a sporting prodigy who had represented Nelson in hockey, soccer, cricket, soft-ball, rugby league and swimming.

He was just 14 when he was first busted by police, for petty burglary. By 26 he was a convicted bank robber, languishing in prison with other skinheads and plotting mayhem for the Fourth Reich. Their brand of white power peaked in the mid to late-90s, in the upper South Island, with up to two dozen members and henchmen. In a 1997 show of strength a gang dropout accused of betrayal was tortured with a knife. He was cut ear to ear across his bald scalp and peeled like a boiled egg before having his finger hacked off. The trophy finger was taken away in a bread bag.

Former Fourth Reich president Ivan Gugich, who carried out the attack with an associate, was jailed for eight years. Inquiry head Detective Derek Shaw described Fourth Reichers as the most ruthless criminals he has encountered.

"They were driven. They were determined. Nothing seemed to worry them. If someone got arrested or ended up in custody, that was simply regarded as collateral damage. Of everyone I've dealt with over the years, these guys gave me serious concern about my off-duty safety and that of my family."

From the Evening Post
A skinhead and an associate who hacked off a man's finger, slashed his head, stabbed him, and told him not to "nark" were convicted in the High Court in Christchurch yesterday of what was called a "barbaric" attack. The Crown had said the severed finger was taken as a trophy to show members of a gang what happened if they did not follow the rules. Ivan Barry Gugich, 28, unemployed, and Greg Brian Dunnill, 24, a sickness beneficiary, were remanded in custody to May 29 for sentence.

The jury took less than two hours to find them guilty of a joint charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Gugich was a founding member of the Fourth Reich, a skinhead gang, and Dunnill was an associate. The victim, 24, was attacked in November

---

Corrections and Additional Information
We endeavour to make this database as accurate as possible, but we are at the mercy of whatever information we can find in various online and offline archives. We rely on the public - that is, people like you - to fill in the gaps that we cannot. If you wish to submit additional information or a correction to this file CLICK HERE . Privacy: Trust policy is that all sources are treated as strictly confidential unless we are explicitly told otherwise. If you wish to see a file removed from this database certain conditions must be met by the offender set out HERE Note that this does NOT apply for those that are the primary offender in a murder, rape, or any sexual offending involving minors. We do not enter into correspondence regarding the guilt/innocence of offenders. Such correspondence is not responded to, especially if the offender concerned has a number of prior convictions

Back to Top