The jailing of a drug dealer may have given a clue to the size of Christchurch’s methamphetamine problem.

He was found with a loaded pistol and cash totalling $145,400 stashed in his car.

Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish described the class A drug as “a scourge on our city” and warned that dealers could expect deterrent sentences.

She said the cash was either the proceeds from drugs sales, or was available to buy more for his dealing.

She then jailed 28-year-old Jamie Rangi Heron for two years eleven months, and he farewelled his partner, two children, and family with hugs – and an apology – before starting his prison term.

The car he was driving, a Land-Rover, is gone, forfeit to the Crown and so is all the money.

Heron had admitted charges of possession of methamphetamine for supply, possession of cannabis, unlawful possession of a pistol and ammunition, and a representative charge of offering or supplying methamphetamine – which carries a maximum term of life imprisonment.

He was released from prison on bail in December and defence counsel Paul Norcross told of him making good progress with efforts to rehabilitate himself since then.

But Judge Farish told Heron that even with sentence reductions for his guilty pleas, rehabilitation, and for the amount he was handing over, the jail term was still well beyond the level where she could consider home detention.

Heron had been effectively on the run in February 2015, wanted for burglary and a breach of intensive supervision. He was dealing in meth and using it himself, and it had got him into a lot of trouble.

He was stopped by police when he was driving badly on Grahams Road, Burnside, at 2.50am on February 24. The search that followed was challenged in court and a judge ruled that it had breached his rights, but she still held that it could be used against him.

First, police found a cellphone in the car’s from console – the first of four found in the vehicle – and then a resealable plastic bag containing meth.

There was $5400 in the glove compartment, and two sets of electronic scales in the vehicle.

A loaded .22 pistol was in a holster behind the front passenger seat.

Judge Farish said Heron clearly had the pistol available to protect himself, the drugs, and the money in his possession.

Police then found a red toolbox in the boot containing $140,000 in cash, and a small amount of cannabis.

An analysis of the texts on the cellphones showed that Heron was “actively involved in supplying and offering to supply methamphetamine”, said the judge.

She urged Heron to continue with the rehabilitation work he had already begun.

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Robert John Commons, who is awaiting surgery for a debilitating illness, raided Christchurch Public Hospital where he stole bicycles from two hard-working nurses.

Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish noted that one of the nurses, at the end of a 13-hour shift, found her bike gone and had to walk 5km home “in the dark, through this empty city”.

Forty-six-year-old Commons repeatedly raided the bike sheds at Christchurch Boys’ High School during 2015, taking thousands of dollars worth of bicycles.

He reasoned that the parents of the boys whose bikes he stole were likely to have insurance. But there was no insurance on the bikes he stole from the two nurses at the hospital, said Judge Farish.

The nurses had been working very hard, “looking after people who were far sicker than you”, said the judge.

Commons pleaded guilty in January to seven charges of stealing bicycles, one motorcycle, and a helmet, with a total value of more than $10,000. He used the stolen items to get money to buy methamphetamine.

Defence counsel Donald Matthews said Commons had put in some real effort since his arrest to deal with his drug addiction. He was soon facing pre-admission assessment for urgent surgery for a serious illness, which was not detailed at the sentencing hearing.

He had met the two nurses at a restorative justice meeting, which had brought home to him the impact that his offending was having on victims.

Judge Farish noted that Commons’ record showed sprees of offending in 2009, 2012, and again in 2015.

She said: “He is quite self-entitled and self-centred. It is all about him.”

She noted he had a debilitating illness but she said: “A lot of people cope with it without resorting to crime.”

He was now struggling with his health but had managed to stay off drugs. “Perhaps your arrest did bring you to your senses,” she said.

She decided that because of his health difficulties, a jail term would be too onerous for him.

She released him on home detention for 10 months, with six months of additional time under release conditions when he must undertaking treatment and counselling as directed, including a substance abuse programme.

She also ordered $4500 reparations to be paid at $20 a week, for the victims who are out of pocket. It will not include payments to the insurance companies. Ordering the full reparations would have meant payments for about 10 years.

She also told Commons that he would be judicially monitored. She would receive regular reports and if he failed to continue with his rehabilitation and reparation payments, he was likely to go to jail for more than two years.

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A shipment of crystal meth about to land in Christchurch would look like a hail storm, a dealer commented as phone arrangements for the drug sale were made.

The comments were intercepted by police working on their Operation Stone investigation which targeted gangs and the distribution of methamphetamine around the South Island.

The investigation led to seven raids on December 17 at addresses around Christchurch.

The conversation was recounted in the Christchurch District Court court where 36-year-old Scott Andrew Swarbrick admitted meth dealing charges in a video-link appearance from the prison where he remains in custody.

The conversation was between Swarbrick and a drugs contact known as “Peter Rabbit” in the early hours of December 17 about bringing “28” – a reference to an ounce or 28g of methamphetamine.

The pair discussed a hail storm that had happened in Christchurch two days before, and Peter Rabbit asked if it would be “looking like that”.

Swarbrick replied that “they will be bigger and you wouldn’t want to stand on them” because you would slip and fall on the “marbles”.

The police say it is a reference to the similarity of crystal methampetamine to hail stones. Marbles is also a common term for methamphetamine rocks.

Four charges of receiving stolen property were withdrawn by the Crown prosecutor, Aja Trinder, before Swarbrick pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine for supply, offering to supply methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine, offering to supply cannabis, and the firearms and ammunition charges.

She said there had been a “substantial asset retrieval”, and there were forfeiture issues to be sorted out before sentencing.

The Crown summary of facts said Swarbrick was in cell phone contact with an associate on December 9, 2015, and agreed to supply his associate with a “Q” and arranged to meet him.

A “Q” is the term for a quarter of a gram of meth, and sells for about $300.

On December 12, he arranged to do “a run up north” to pick up meth, and he and his associate then made the hail storm comments.

On December 17, Swarbrick received a call and arranged to meet his associate with a “snack box kid’s meal” which refers to a small amount of meth.

He also arranged to supply an associate with a 50 of “smelly stuff” – meaning a $50 bag of cannabis.

On December 18, Swarbrick was at a motor lodge when the police raid occurred.

They found a pill bottle with several point bags of meth in it, with a street value of $4000, and a cigarette packet with 28.4g of meth in it. There was $900 cash, several cell phones, scales, a stun gun, and 5.68g of dried cannabis.

The police then executed a search warrant at a property storage facility and found four firearms – a Russian T03-17 .22 calibre rifle, a .22 calibre Savage rifle, a Miroku 12 gauge double-barrel shotgun, and a Remington 878 automaster semi-automatic shotgun, and a box of ammunition.

The Crown is seeking an order for the destruction of the methamphetamine, and the forfeiture of the cash found.

Judge Tom Gilbert remanded Swarbrick in custody to a Crown sentencing on July 20.

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A 25-year-old Rangiora woman is being assessed for home detention after admitting a charge of supplying the class A drug methamphetamine – an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

In the Christchurch District Court Kelsi Anne Sherriff admitted charges of supplying methamphetamine and cannabis, and police believe she was selling the class A drug to pay for her own addiction.

The police summary of facts said when the police searched Sherriff’s room they found a set of scales, empty point bags, a notebook containing contacts, methamphetamine residue, and 9g of cannabis.

Sherriff, a shop assistant, was arrested in a series of drugs raids in Rangiora and Woodend in February.

Judge David Saunders granted bail and remanded Sherriff for sentence on August 3. He ordered a pre-sentence report to assess her suitability for a home detention sentence.

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A man who tried to get through the search station at the entrance to the Christchurch Court House with a loaded pistol in his pants has been granted a home detention sentence.

When police searched 23-year-old Steven Joseph Hickey afterwards they found he also had 4g of methamphetamine, and $1865 in his shoe.

Hickey appeared in the Christchurch District Court for sentence after admitting possession of the pistol, ammunition, and methamphetamine.

Defence counsel Moana Cole said Hickey had made progress with drug rehabilitation since his arrest, and she handed Judge Tom Gilbert letters of support from his father, employer, and counsellor.

Judge Gilbert said Hickey was arrested for unpaid fines on February 17 and when he went to the Court House, the metal detector at the door revealed the .22 calibre revolver pistol in his trouser leg.

The pistol was loaded and also contained one spent round.

The methamphetamine was then found in a search that followed.

“The combination of methamphetamine and a loaded weapon is an unhappy one,” said the judge.

He noted that Hickey was now going to counselling and Narcotics Anonymous. He had been to a four-week rehabilitation course, and had begun work as an apprentice plasterer.

He decided that home detention was appropriate and imposed a six-month sentence at Hickey’s parents’ home in Kaiapoi. The sentence will be followed by six months when special release conditions will apply.

“These are designed to ensure you get the help and support for recovery,” said the judge.

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Being set up for a robbery might be regarded as “an occupational hazard” for dealers who sell rock salt as crystal meth, a lawyer suggested at a woman’s Christchurch District Court sentencing on Thursday.

The Christchurch dealer had sold rock salt “to a group for whom the Disputes Tribunal is not the first or most obvious place of recourse,” said Craig Ruane, defence counsel for 22-year-old Casey Marie Chamberlain.

Chamberlain was sobbing and in tears as she heard from Judge Paul Kellar that she was going to jail for one year ten months for her role in the robbery of the dealer.

The judge refused home detention. The pre-sentence report showed that the suggested home detention address was ruled out by the Probation Service because of the other people living there.

The case began as a kidnapping of the drug dealer, but Chamberlain pleaded guilty when the charge was reduced in March to assault with intent to rob.

Her partner at the time, Chad Adam Carrington, 25, has already been jailed for two years. A third alleged offender, who the police say was armed with a taser, has pleaded not guilty and is still to go on trial.

Mr Ruane today urged the judge to impose community work and supervision on Chamberlain, for her role in an incident that had “rapidly spiralled way beyond her contemplation or expectation”.

She did not have an extensive criminal history and supervision would help deal with her behavioural and drug and alcohol problems.

He described her partner at the time, Carrington, as “a man who a parent would not consider was suitable for their daughter”. He had a serious criminal history.

The group had felt “ripped off” by being sold rock salt instead of methamphetamine, and being set up for robbery might be considered an occupational hazard for dealers who sold things which were not what they said.

Judge Kellar said the dealer had been contacted when her advertising was noticed on Facebook and she had been lured to an Armagh Street house where some of the group lived, ostensibly for another drug deal.

Once she was inside, Carrington had locked the door, demanded her cellphone, and another woman had allegedly threatened her with a crackling taser held near her head. Carrington went outside and told the dealer’s waiting boyfriend that they better return the $300 from the earlier drug deal if he wanted to see his girlfriend again.

The boyfriend drove off and called the police, who then arrived and arrested the three who have been charged.

The dealer had been punched several times, including once by Chamberlain, but was uninjured apart from the redness to the face. “Undoubtedly the experience must have been most unsettling for her,” said the judge.

Chamberlain was seen as a medium risk of offending. She said she had been using cannabis regularly but had only used methamphetamine socially, three or four times. While on bail she had breached her curfew twice, and had also admitted not living at the required address.

She had been living “an unstructured lifestyle”. She was unemployed and was the mother of a child who was not in her care.

He jailed her for 22 months and imposed six months of post-release special conditions.

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A Christchurch solicitor has denied a methamphetamine possession charge he faced at the Christchurch District Court today.

Steven Welch Rollo, 41, entered not guilty pleas to two charges before a registrar who granted a remand on bail for a case review hearing on September 6.

A case review hearing is the next step on the way to a trial.

Rollo denies possession of methamphetamine, and refusing to give “an enforcement officer” his full name and address when required. Both offences are alleged to have been committed at Christchurch on July 1.

The registrar’s remand meant he did not need to appear in court before a judge.

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A woman charged with possession of ammunition and a methamphetamine pipe, and receiving stolen property after a police search of a Bryndwr home three weeks ago has pleaded not guilty and elected jury trial.

Nikita Chela McCausland, 28, entered her pleas before a registrar at the Christchurch District Court today and was remanded on bail to a Crown case review hearing on September 19.

Police allege that on June 22, the date of the search, McCausland was unlawfully in possession of ten .22 calibre rounds, a .45 calibre round, and a .308 rifle projectile.

They have also charged her with possession of a glass pipe for smoking methamphetamine, and receiving a $2000 laptop computer by being reckless about whether it was stolen.

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File image. © Andrew Bardwell

New Zealand may need to re-think its sentencing regime for the class A drug methamphetamine in the light of recent huge drug busts, says a Christchurch lawyer.

Drug interceptions and seizures are getting bigger, including the arrest of several men for a Northland meth importation involving 494kg of the drug worth nearly $500 million.

Defence counsel Tony Garrett made the comment at the Christchurch District Court sentencing of repeat meth dealer Scott Andrew Swarbrick, 36, who faced maximum penalties of life imprisonment for his latest round of offending where he had been found with $900 cash, drugs paraphernalia and about 32g of methamphetamine.

Courts would soon be dealing with cases involving significantly large amounts of meth, and might have to re-think the sentencing regime that was now in place.

A very long sentence was not justified for Swarbrick, he said. “This is not as serious as a lot of cases we are going to be dealing with.”

Swarbrick has seven pages listing his previous convictions, for dishonesty and meth dealing, including a seven-and-a-half year sentence imposed in 2007.

Mr Garrett said Swarbrick had probably only spent one year outside prison since then. “It is not difficult to comprehend that being on release back into the Canterbury community, there were huge pressures and temptations to do exactly what he did.”

Swarbrick had pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine for supply, offering to supply methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine, offering to supply cannabis, and five firearms and ammunition charges.

Judge Tom Gilbert said the sentencing had to protect the community from the harm caused by methamphetamine. Personal factors had to be secondary to issues of deterrence and denunciation when drug dealing was involved.

Letters from Swarbrick showed indications of remorse, but he also noted that he had said he had been dealing to make money having fallen on difficult times after losing his job. He was assessed as being a moderate to high risk of reoffending.

Swarbrick was arrested in a series of police raids in December at the end of Operation Stone, targeting gangs and the distribution of methamphetamine around the South Island. In an intercepted exchange of messages, he had spoken of a meth shipment about to land in Christchurch looking like a hail storm.

The judge noted that four firearms and ammunition had been found in a lock-up rented by Swarbrick. “The fact that a meth dealer such as yourself has amassed such an arsenal to which ready access can be gained is a seriously aggravating factor.” There was a capacity for drug deals to go wrong, and those involved to resort to guns.

He imposed a jail term of four years ten months with a non-parole term of two years six months, ordered forfeiture of the $900 cash found, and destruction of the drugs and equipment.

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Case review hearing for Christchurch solicitor Steven Welch Rollo, 41, who denies charges of possession of methamphetamine and refusing to give “an enforcement officer” his full name and address when required. First appearance and immediate not guilty pleas on July 8, 2016.

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A 31-year-old with Mongrel Mob links was high on methamphetamine and alcohol when his aggressive driving injured two people in a taxi he crashed into.

“He is hazy as to what took place,” defence counsel Chris Persson said at the Christchurch District Court sentencing of Reon Brent Borell.

Mr Persson told Judge Raoul Neave that Borell had been in custody on remand for 15 months since his arrest, and had done courses in prison. “There seems to be a change occurring with this man,” he said urging the judge to impose a sentence that would allow Borell to undergo rehabilitation at Moana House in Dunedin.

The recidivist offender was jailed for 30 months on 12 charges, all occurring on May 13, 2015.

He began by burgling a Hoskyns Road, Templeton, home, taking a laptop, television, cheque book, cash, food, rifle, and two shotguns.

He moved on to a home in Dyers Pass Road where he took wine, cash, a laptop, five passports, and personal items.

He then drove dangerously along Moorhouse Ave, going through two red lights, aggressively changing lanes, and swerving around cars.

He drove towards Hornby where he swerved out of his lane and hit a taxi, injuring both the driver and his passenger. Both cars ended up on the footpath, but Borell reversed back onto the road and continued.

He drove to a house in Marshs Road Templeton, and took photography equipment, a computer tablet, computer equipment, and other items.

When he was arrested he failed to complete an alcohol breath test, and refused a blood sample to be taken, telling the police present that he wanted to fight them.

His car was searched and a rifle, knuckle duster, and three knives were found. There was also a pipe for smoking methamphetamine, and 17g of dried cannabis.

He was sentenced on three charges of burglary, dangerous driving, dangerous driving causing injury, failing to stop to ascertain injury after a crash, disqualified driving, refusing to give blood, possession of a firearm, possession of offensive weapons, possession of cannabis, and possession of a pipe.

Mr Persson said Borell felt bad because he had caused injury.

Police prosecutor Glenn Henderson said Borell had previous firearms, burglary, and driving convictions, and was a recidivist offender.

Judge Raoul Neave said there was a real concern when people stole firearms, and stealing laptops and phones meant people irretrievably lost personal photographs.

Borell’s pre-sentence report said he was entrenched in a local gang, Judge Neave said, and he told him that the gang would always lead him into temptation, and that he needed to build a relationship with his family and forget about the gang.

He urged the parole board, where Borell will have a meeting almost immediately, to release him into a rehabilitation facility.

He said the victims of the burglaries were frightened, lost property, and did not feel safe in their homes. Burglary caused a sense of invasion that some people never got over.

Borell had caused financial, personal, and emotional costs to the people in the accident, he said.

He sentenced Borell to 30 months’ prison, and to pay reparation of $3750.

He disqualified him from driving and said he would have to apply for a zero-alcohol licence when he was allowed to drive again.

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A man has been sentenced to six month’s home detention at Odyssey House for “incredibly dangerous reckless driving”, after a high speed police chase across town in January.

Ricky Shane Stampa, 32, was told by Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish that he had been given chances, and should be locked up because he was a menace. He had been sentenced last year on similar offending, and was still disqualified from driving when this incident occurred.

But his latest pre-sentence report said Stampa had a long standing drug addiction problem and now realised he had to stop.

Defence counsel Paul Johnson said Stampa was committed to the Odyssey House rehabilitation programme. He said he had been gifted land and trees on the West Coast, and wanted to turn it into a business.

Judge Farish said she was sentencing Stampa on his eighth driving while disqualified offence, his reckless driving which was incredibly dangerous, failing to stop for police, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a methamphetamine pipe, a breach of the Medicines Act, and failing to answer District Court bail. He had pleaded guilty.

Stampa was driving in Parklands early on January 15, when he accelerated away from a police patrol car using its lights and siren.

He drove on the wrong side of a roundabout, and did 100km an hour on Bower Avenue. He turned his lights off and continued through Wainoni and Linwood at speed.

In Aldwins Road police road spikes blew out two of his tyres, but he continued driving, turned onto Brougham Street and drove along on the wrong side.

He lost control of the car on the corner of Milton Street and Strickland Street and crashed into a fence.

A police sergeant tried to stop him running off, and was punched in the face, and five policemen restrained him.

Judge Farish sentenced Stampa to six months’ home detention at Odyssey House, with a further 12 months’ release conditions to undertake post-release programmes as recommended. She told him he would be judicially monitored so she would get reports on his progress every three months.

She also disqualified him from driving for a further 15 months, which meant he could not drive until 2019.

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The alleged driver facing 16 charges after a police pursuit through Christchurch on Thursday called out a Nazi salute when a judge remanded him in custody at the Christchurch District Court.

Terry Thane Daily, a 20-year-old plasterer from Phillipstown, made a gang sign and called out “Sieg f–g Heil” when Judge Philip Connell remanded him for an appearance by video-link from Christchurch Prison on October 20.

Police have charged him over a chase involving an allegedly stolen vehicle through Edgeware and Shirley early on Thursday afternoon. It was believed to have started in the city centre, and was abandoned for a time by the police because of the manner of driving.

Daily was remanded without plea after his bail application was refused.

He faces charges of unlawfully taking a $3000 Subaru car, failing to stop for the police while driving dangerously, failing to remain stopped for the police when they were trying to get his details, driving while disqualified in Shirley, reckless driving, resisting a police officer, unlawful possession of an air pistol and a knife, intentionally damaging a police car, possession of methamphetamine, assault using a car as a weapon, intentional damage and several charges of stealing petrol.

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File image. © Andrew Bardwell

Two people who admitted plotting to “roll” an unknown drug dealer were jailed in the Christchurch District Court.

They had admitted charges of conspiring to commit the aggravated robbery of a victim the police have never been able to identify.

The court was told that police had begun a covert electronic investigation into 38-year-old Russell Stafford Ricardo Harris, and were intercepting his private communications.

On April 7, 2016, 22-year-old Paula Hardaker phoned Harris to tell him she had a male wanting to purchase drugs worth $12,000.

They decided they were going to rob the victim of his money, and Hardaker was to arrange for him to be at her address, inside the living room.

Once Hardaker had seen the money she would contact Harris who would come in and commit the robbery.

For some reason the victim did not turn up, and Hardaker and Harris were picked up by police in a car on Main South Road. A pistol was found in the car.

Defence counsel for Harris, Ethan Huda, said Harris told the probation report writer that his offending was only against people who led a similar lifestyle to him.

Judge Stephen O’Driscoll said he was sentencing Harris on a charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, unlawful possession of a pistol, and possession of a Samurai sword in a public place on December 29.

He said the offending was premeditated, and as his risk of harm was not diminishing, and there was no reduction in his offending, he sentenced Harris to two years six months’ prison, and ordered the destruction of the sword.

Hardaker was caught up in an unfortunate position, and had decided to rid herself of negative influences in her life, her defence counsel Allister Davis said.

She was determined to deal with her drug addiction which was the catalyst for this offending, he said.

Judge O’Driscoll said Hardaker had been caught in a methamphetamine addiction, and was with the wrong crowd.

He sentenced her on conspiracy to commit an aggravated robbery, and unlawful possession of a pistol, to 13 months’ prison, with special release conditions for six months to take any counselling or treatment recommended by her parole officer to address her drug addiction.

He put off sentencing her on a receiving charge, where she had tried to sell stolen jewellery on Trade Me, and remanded her on bail to January 25, when he said he would impose a 12 months’ intensive supervision sentence so she will be under monitoring for longer.

A third person who was originally charged with conspiracy to commit the robbery, Grant Campbell Flood, a 31-year-old drainlayer, was granted a discharge without conviction after a separate hearing on Tuesday.

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Three men arrested for alleged involvement in a methamphetamine supply ring have been remanded in custody at the Christchurch District Court.

Michael Heron, a 44-year-old concrete worker with no fixed abode, Riki William Wellington, a 26-year-old builder from Hei Hei, and Luke Samuel Mathers, a 23-year-old security officer from New Brighton were all charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply, and possession of a psychoactive substance for supply.

Heron and Wellington were also charged with unlawful possession of a pistol.

Mathers applied for bail, but the police supplied a written opposition to it, and Judge Brian Callaghan refused the application. Wellington and Heron did not apply for bail and were remanded without plea.

Police said several searches of addresses and vehicles across the city were executed yesterday, and more than 500g of methamphetamine, over $100,000 cash, and a loaded pistol were found, and four cars were seized.

All three men were remanded in custody to a video-link appearance from the Christchurch Men’s Prison on November 24.

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A West Coast drug offender who wanted locked up to go “cold turkey” has been wished luck by a judge who has released him into a rehabilitation programme.

Twenty-two-year-old Andy Junior Halliday had got part of his wish after appearing in Westport and being remanded to Christchurch.

His case was due for call in the Christchurch District Court on Friday, but was stood down, and when it was due to be recalled Halliday had become frustrated.

The appearance did not go ahead and the case was held over to yesterday, so Halliday ended up getting about 10 days in custody in total.

Halliday had asked to be imprisoned for his and the community’s safety because he had an “extreme” methamphetamine problem, and no home.

His lawyer Doug Taffs told the judge in Westport that the only way Halliday would stay clean was if he was locked up and went “cold turkey”.

Halliday was before the court for sentencing for breaching prison release terms, failing to complete his community work hours, and a new charge of failing to report on supervision.

He pleaded guilty in Christchurch yesterday and defence counsel Glenn Henderson told Judge Tom Gilbert that a place was available for Halliday in a drugs rehabilitation programme in Gore, but he would not be assessed to enter the course for five days.

Judge Gilbert said that after 10 days in custody, no other punitive sentence was warranted for Halliday.

He asked, “Would you be open to a residential treatment programme?” Halliday replied that he was.

He noted that Halliday’s motivation to attend the drug course was in everybody’s interests.

He cancelled the existing supervision and community work sentences, and sentenced Halliday to a year of intensive supervision when he must attend courses, counselling, treatment, or programmes as directed.

Halliday was then released under supervision ahead of his planned admission to the programme, the Judge Gilbert wished him, “Good luck.”

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Three alleged Head Hunters gang members or associates were granted interim name suppression when they appeared on drugs or conspiracy charges in the Christchurch District Court after police raids that ended a four-month investigation today.

Judge Paul Kellar accepted that the suppression could be granted for their first court appearances to preserve their rights to a fair trial.

Phil Shamy, defence counsel for the first man brought into court, asked for suppression because he said there may be issues with identification in the police case.

Judge Kellar granted the order but said it would have to be fully argued at the men’s next appearances, if the defence wanted it to continue.

The first man, a 45-year-old from Mairehau, entered no plea to a charge of being a member of an organised criminal group from August to December, and four charges of conspiring to supply the class A drug methamphetamine between August 24 and November 11.

He was remanded in custody – there was no application for bail – for an appearance by video-link from the prison on December 19.

A 44-year-old from Bryndwr was remanded on bail to December 28, without plea, when police did not oppose bail. He faced charges of being a member of a criminal group, and failing to assist a detective carrying out a search.

Police opposed bail for a third man, a 50-year-old mechanic, who entered no plea to the charge of being a member of the organised criminal group. Judge Kellar heard a bail application and granted bail for the man to appear on December 28, as well as interim suppression.

Police did not oppose bail for Benjamin Gabriel Dean Kney, 42, of New Brighton, and he was granted a registrar’s remand without a court appearance. He was remanded to January 5, on the charge of participating in an organised criminal group. He did not seek name suppression.  

The organised criminal group charges link five men who are alleged to have been involved in the supply of methamphetamine. Four of the five men named appeared before the court today.

Another man who was apparently picked up in the same raids because his address was given as one of the addresses involved, was remanded on bail to December 13, on two drugs charges. Justin Francis Wydur, 46 a plasterer, of Wigram, entered no pleas to charges of possession of cannabis and possession of a pipe for smoking methamphetamine. He does not face the criminal group charge.

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A fifth man charged with participating in an organised criminal group dealing in methamphetamine arising from police raids on Head Hunters gang premises on Tuesday has appeared at the Christchurch District Court.

Carrick John Broadley, a 42-year-old contractor from Parklands, appeared at court a day after the other four men who were brought to the Court House only hours after the raids.

He appeared before a Community Magistrate on 10 charges, and was remanded in custody without plea to December 14. Unlike three of the other appearances on Tuesday, no name suppression was sought.

Broadley is charged with being a member of an organised criminal group selling the class A drug methamphetamine between September 6 and December 6, five charges of offering to supply the drug, and four charges of conspiring with another man named as part of the criminal group to supply the drug.

His appearance means that all five of the men named in the organised criminal group charges have now appeared in court.

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A judge delivered an anti-meth warning as he jailed four offenders for a disastrous night time home invasion and robbery at Springston, southwest of Christchurch.

The invasion was carried out to recover a debt from an alleged rip-off by a man who had spent a week sleeping on the couch at the rural address.

He wasn’t home but the residents were terrified by masked intruders with weapons, and after arrests at the end of the two police car chases that followed, jail terms totalling more than 16 years were imposed at the Christchurch District Court sentencing today.

Judge Stephen O’Driscoll told the four they should “learn from this” and forget about drugs, and never get involved in anything like this again.

He said methamphetamine was “an addictive and dangerous drug” and he told the group: “All of this is because of the downward spiral that drugs, particularly methamphetamine, can take you on.”

The four had turned up at the address at 1am on March 27, waking and confronting the four occupants. The intruders had a metal bar, a knife, and an imitation pistol. Threats were made, there was an assault, and questions were asked about the man who had been staying there. The occupants’ cellphones were taken and phone lines were cut.

One of the group announced that $1300 worth of property would be taken because that was the value of the alleged rip-off.

One of the occupants managed to call the police on a cellphone that had not been taken, and as the intruders left, the police arrived and chased two cars in separate pursuits.

Joshua James Watkinson, 21, was jailed for four years nine months and disqualified from driving for 29 months, for aggravated robbery, and driving charges including dangerous driving and failing to stop.

Paratene Forreste Guy Aupouri, 27, was jailed for four years two months, for the robbery and a breach of a community work sentence. Judge O’Driscoll said his offending had continued unabated for 10 years.

Douglas Anaru Lockley, 21, was jailed for three years and five months on just the aggravated robbery charge. He had one previous burglary conviction but was described by probation as being “naïve and vulnerable”.

Katherine Pamela Allison, 21, was a first offender but she had taken cellphones and cut phone lines, and had driven one of the cars in the chases that followed. She had not been a minor player, said the judge, jailing her for three years ten months and disqualifying her from driving for 18 months on charges including dangerous driving and failing to stop. She had also admitted drugs charges.

All four were given first strike warnings under the system that imposes heavier penalties on repeat violent offenders.

The post Anti-meth warning for home invaders appeared first on Courtnews.co.nz.

A sixth man has been arrested for conspiring to deal in methamphetamine after a series of police raids on Head Hunters gang premises last week.

The 31-year-old labourer, Karl Steven Shepherd, appeared in the Christchurch District Court today, a week after the raids.

He is charged with conspiring to supply the class A drug with two of the men who were named as participating in an organised criminal group when they appeared in court last week.

Police allege Shepherd was part of a conspiracy to supply methamphetamine over a short period early in October.

He also faces charges alleging that on Thursday he cultivated cannabis, unlawfully possessed two sticks of the explosive, Power Gel, unlawfully possessed six .22 bullets, and having a pipe for smoking methamphetamine.

Police did not oppose bail at the appearance before Judge Gary MacAskill and Shepherd was remained on bail to January 4, with conditions that he live at a Waltham address, not consume illicit drugs, and abide by a nightly curfew.

Others facing charges over alleged involvement in the drugs ring have been remanded to various dates between Wednesday and January 5.

The post Sixth arrest over drug ring allegations appeared first on Courtnews.co.nz.