Man gets home detention for ‘without a doubt’ selling drugs

A Wanaka man caught red-handed with drugs avoided a jail sentence as a first offender when he appeared in Queenstown District Court yesterday.

Leon Rowles, 31, kitchen hand, appeared before Judge Kevin Phillips for sentence for possessing cannabis for supply, possessing cannabis resin and a class B drug, namely MDMA, on July 21.

He was sentenced to six months’ home detention with standard postdetention conditions for six months and special conditions in relation to alcohol and drug counselling, 200 hours’ community work and ordered to forfeit money seized.

Crown prosecutor Michael Morris said Rowles was in possession of more than $6000 cash, scales, plastic bags and other items needed for such dealing.

Judge Phillips said Rowles was selling drugs, without a shadow of a doubt, and more product was readily available, but he did not intend to send him to jail.

‘‘It’s serious offending with many repeated acts of sale. By the barest of margins, home detention does bring it home.’’

Police stopped Rowles when he was driving in Ardmore St, Wanaka, and noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

They searched the car and found a 30-gram bag of cannabis with the drug divided into smaller bags, a tub with plastic bags, each with 2g to 3g of cannabis, and a small pot with 1g. Rowles declined to provide an address, so police used a tenancy bond form in order to file a search warrant. They found 119g of cannabis, plastic bags with 91 seeds, a small amount of brown powder and $675 in cash at the address.

Drugs

Bronson Wayne Wilton, 27, of Lake Hayes Estate, plasterer, was sentenced to four months’ home detention and 150 hours’ community work for cultivating cannabis on July 11, assault on December 29 and breaching a supervision sentence on November 11. The court was told police found a grow tent with nine plants in a garage equipped with lights, heating, fertiliser and extractor fans. A crop of 765g of cannabis was available every six weeks, the judge said.

In December, Wilton assaulted an 18-year-old visitor in a Queenstown holiday park, punching him, breaking his nose and depressing his cheekbones. He was sentenced to two months’ home detention concurrent on the cultivation sentence, ordered to pay $600 reparation to the victim and convicted and discharged for breaching supervision.

Lewis Charles Elliott, 22, sales representative, was convicted and remanded for sentence on December 3 for supplying cannabis on October 30.

Disorderly

Mathew Hirini Campbell, 35, unemployed, of Auckland, was sentenced to two months’ jail for behaving in a disorderly manner that was likely in the circumstances to cause violence against persons to start, on April 11. The court was told he took offence after the victim asked him about a haka he performed while intoxicated in Southern Laughter Backpackers. He was aggressive and grabbed the victim, who dropped to the ground afraid of an attack, then Campbell, who has already served the jail time in custody, verbally abused him.

Careless driving causing injury

Mayuki Mizushita, 26, Japanese national, was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for six months for operating a vehicle carelessly and thereby causing an injury, on August 18.

Intent

Amanda Jane Nicolls, 41, manager, of Frankton, was discharged without conviction for without lawful authority and reasonable excuse having in her possession a baseball bat that prima facie showed an intention to use it to commit an offence of bodily injury or threat or fear of violence, August 5.

Breach

Khan Christopher Bell, 19, of Frankton, was sentenced to 40 hours’ community work for failing without reasonable excuse to report for an earlier sentence of community work, on October 29.

Theft

Eduardo Araujo-Lima, 34, plasterer, Brazilian national, was sentenced to 80 hours’ community work and fined $500 for stealing $500 to $1000 of grocery items from Night ’n Day, where he worked night shift between January 1 and August 31.

Sold tobacco

Michael Hadijanto, 36, shop assistant, was fined $200 for selling a pack of cigarettes to a person under 18, April 17.

Drink-driving

Andrew John Hedley, 44, of Lake Hawea, was sentenced to four months’ jail and disqualified from driving for 15 months for driving with a breath alcohol level of 678mcg, having been convicted of drink-driving at least twice previously, on September 22. Judge Phillips said the conviction was Hedley’s sixth.Joanne Vivienne Downer, 41, of Lake Hayes Estate, 722mcg on October 12. Fined $700 and disqualified for six months.

Taane John Pollard-Grey, 19, 554mcg in Invercargill, giving false details and driving while forbidden, on October 6. Remanded till December 17 for sentence.

Georgia Rose Macdonald, 17, of Wanaka, 723mcg on November 2. Sentenced to 70 hours’ community work and disqualified for six months.

Ryan Thomas William Barkley, 18, student, of Sunshine Bay, 221mcg on October 24. Sentenced to 40 hours’ community work and disqualified for three months.

Barry Robert Anderson, 33, plumber, of Arrowtown, was remanded on bail till December 17 for sentence for driving with a blood alcohol level of 178mg, having been convicted for drink-driving at least twice previously, on October 13. Judge Phillips said a jail sentence was likely.

Peter David Mitchell, 48, bus driver, 162mg on October 25. Fined $750 and disqualified for seven months.

Cassandra Wynne, 29, 252mg on September 8. Fined $900 and disqualified for nine months.