Mate blamed for poaching charge

A Blenheim man caught illegally hunting deer near Kaiko¯ura has blamed his mate - but refuses to dob him in to police.

Lance James Mackel, 27, was in Kaiko¯ura with friends when they decided to go hunting on the evening of April 15.

They were armed with rifles and spotlighting equipment, but Mackel did not have a firearms licence, a police summary said.

The group went hunting at the ‘‘Doctors Block’’ area at Okarahia in the Hundalees, south of Kaiko¯ura and adjacent to State Highway 1.

After three hours in the bush, Mackel found a fallow deer and shot it.

Mackel boned it out on the hill, and carried the meat and head back to his ute, intending to be photographed with the head as a trophy, the summary said.

A passing motorist saw Mackel heading back to the ute and suspected they were poaching, and called police.

When spoken to by police, Mackel said his mate told him the land belonged to his uncle who gave them permission to hunt there.

The land was actually owned in partnership by a Christchurch man who denied granting anyone permission to hunt there.

Mackel was not familiar with the area and could not say where any houses were, or who else could have been there, the summary said.

He refused to tell police which of his friends he was hunting with.

However, Mackel was ‘‘upset’’ with his mate for giving him the wrong information, and would like to make amends with the landowner, he said.

Police were unable to seize the deer head, meat and hunting equipment.

Mackel said he was using a .243 rifle with a scope. The landowner sought $480 in compensation for the deer.

Mackel admitted unlawful hunting and unlawful possession of a firearm at the Blenheim District Court on Monday, representing himself.

‘‘There’s not much to say about it, I’m guilty. I’m happy to pay reparation,’’ he told the court.

Judge David Ruth told Mackel the maximum penalty for illegal hunting was a $100,000 fine.

‘‘That’s how seriously it’s taken.’’ He convicted Mackel and fined him $1000, and ordered him to pay $480 in reparation.