ALSO CHARGED: Brett Beamsley flashed the Mongrel Mob salute at onlookers while driving away from court.

The first man convicted under the Wanganui bylaw banning gang patches is the city's Mongrel Mob president, whose bashing sparked the patch ban.

Peter Randal Nahona, 45, unemployed, was arrested on September 2 wearing a gang hat and sweatshirt in Jones St.

In February 2006, he was beaten by Hells Angels members at a Wanganui East service station, sparking violent confrontations between the gangs.

Police raided both gang's headquarters and made 24 arrests after the outbreak of violence.

Mayor Michael Laws said yesterday that Nahona's conviction was ironic.

"It was his vicious beating by Hells Angels members in early 2006 that convinced the council to act."

The message was getting through that the police and courts would uphold the new law, he said. The bylaw came into effect last week.

Nahona signed a notice at Wanganui District Court indicating he was pleading guilty to wearing gang insignia, but was not in court yesterday when Judge Michael Radford fined him $500 plus $130 court costs and ordered the items of clothing be destroyed.

Three other men appeared in court yesterday charged under the new law.

Mongrel Mob member Brett Allen Beamsley, 45, flashed the gang's salute at onlookers while driving away from court.

He entered no plea to accusations of wearing a bulldog insignia the gang's symbol on September 2.

Beamsley has the letters MMM for Mighty Mongrel Mob tattooed across his face.

Wanganui District Council had originally sought to have tattoos included in the ban, but Parliament's law and order select committee considered this unworkable.

John Phillip Ratana, a 21-year-old Tribesmen gang member, also entered no plea.

Police allege he wore a black leather vest with the gang's insignia when stopped for speeding on September 1, the day the bylaw came into force.

Both men were remanded at large until September 22.

Bryan Vincent Moore, accused of wearing a Hells Angels MC Hastings T-shirt on Monday, did not appear in court and his case was adjourned until September 15.

The maximum penalty under the new law is a $2000 fine.

Acting police area commander Inspector Greg Hudson said all four arrests were made without incident.

"I think [the arrested men] just accepted it. I understand that some of them basically forgot the rule was in place."

He said clothing seized by police would be held as evidence until conviction, and then burned.