Man not guilty of meth making
A jury has found a Taranaki man not guilty of manufacturing methamphetamine, but responsible for having the materials necessary to do so.
Yesterday, Kevin Martin Matthews was cleared of making the class A drug, a charge which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, but was found guilty of possessing two materials to make it and the equipment to do so.
The foreman told the New Plymouth District Court the jury’s verdicts had been unanimous.
Matthews’ trial began on Tuesday, when the jury of six women and six men heard from the Crown that police had acted on suspicions there was a clandestine methamphetamine, or P, lab operating at an Opunake Rd address in Te Kiri.
During the execution of the search warrant, Matthews was found at the property along with equipment, phosphorus acid and iodine.
Meth residue was found on some of the equipment, including two glass baking dishes, and the 49-yearold’s fingerprints were detected on some items as well.
But Matthews denied any involvement in the drug’s manufacture and evidence given in court indicated at least two other men had resided at the Opunake Rd property before the police raid.
Matthews showed little emotion when the verdicts were delivered and had sat stony-faced throughout much of the four-day hearing.
After convictions were entered, Matthews’ lawyer, Auckland-based Peter Kaye, asked Judge Kevin Glubb to consider sentencing his client on the spot.
Kaye said that Matthews had some previous offending history, which was at the low end, and a noncustodial sentence could assist him in terms of helping him address his addiction issues.
However, the judge said he wanted to know more about Matthews and called for a presentence report ahead of the November 16 sentencing date.
Matthews would remain on bail until then as there had been no compliance issues to date. It would also enable Matthews to continue with his drug counselling, Judge Glubb said.
‘‘That seems to be helping you on your counsel’s assessment,’’ he told the defendant.