Judge to Scribe: no drugs

Hip-hop artist Scribe will have to prove he is ‘‘kicking the drug habit’’ if he wants to be discharged without conviction on a methamphetamine possession charge, he was told at court.

The 38-year-old musician – real name Malo Ioane Luafutu – was about to leave Christchurch for a drug rehab course the next day in Wellington in April 2017 when he was arrested for meth possession.

After finding the charge proved at a half-day trial in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday, Judge Raoul Neave remanded Luafutu for a hearing on May 23 when defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger will apply for the discharge.

Judge Neave said Luafutu would need to show ‘‘he is in fact kicking the habit’’.

He remanded Luafutu on bail with a condition that he not ‘‘possess or consume any illicit drug’’.

After hearing the evidence, Judge Neave dismissed three charges of failing to attend court while on bail, possession of an offensive weapon – a baseball bat – and possession of a pipe for smoking methamphetamine.

He found Luafutu had possession of the point-bag of methamphetamine, which Luafutu said he had found and picked up.

Luafutu told police that, but did not say he planned to hand it in or destroy it.

A police bid for name suppression of the officers who arrested the rapper was rejected by judge.

Scribe recorded his first album in 2003 and was named best Kiwi artist at the 2008 MTV Australia Awards.