Proctor says he made a mistake when taking bongs
The University of Otago’s proctor says he made an ‘‘error of judgment’’ entering a student flat and removing three bongs, but maintains he is no ‘‘criminal’’.
Dave Scott, a former police officer, has come under fire after reportedly removing drug-taking equipment from at least four student flats in Dunedin.
Yesterday afternoon, he told a press conference that what he did was ‘‘wrong’’.
Hundreds have signed a petition calling for Scott’s immediate resignation though, and $25,000 has been committed for a private prosecution against him. Lawyers around New Zealand have said his actions could amount to unlawful entry.
Scott said he made a ‘‘human’’ mistake. His intention was to deal with the situation where the students would avoid prosecution and criminal convictions, but in hindsight he realised this was wrong. To his knowledge, he would not face disciplinary action or lose his job. Vice Chancellor Harlene Hayne was aware of what happened, he said. Scott said he entered the flat while delivering information on how to be a good host.
He went to the flat in question and found the rear sliding door ‘‘wide open’’. He knocked on the door, yelled out, but there was no reply, he said.
‘‘In plain sight, just inside the room’’ were three cannabis smoking bongs, he said. ‘‘I chose to deal with that situation myself, so, wrongly, with the benefit of hindsight, I entered the room.’’
He took the bongs and destroyed them.
‘‘My intention in doing that was to deal with the situation at a proctorial level involving police.
‘‘With the benefit of hindsight that was the wrong decision.’’
He said to the best of his knowledge, he had not entered other flats and taken items during his two-and-a-half years in the role, but he had taken bongs from backyard picnic tables, which was also wrong, he said.
He said he only entered one flat. He had apologised to the students involved yesterday afternoon. . . . without