Judge rejects dealer’s miraculous meth story

A meth dealer’s Christmas miracle has left him with a bad hangover and staring down the barrel of a long prison sentence.

Peter James Tregoweth was found guilty in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday of three charges of possessing methamphetamine for supply.

The jury deliberated for about an hour before reaching its verdicts on the charges, which stemmed from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2019.

Tregoweth was caught with three bags with different amounts of meth – 2.8 grams, 3g and 37g – after being arrested in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

The first bag was found during a search at Palmerston North police station, the second after a strip search at Manawatu¯ Prison, and the third after he was caught smoking meth in his prison cell on Christmas morning.

Tregoweth, who gave evidence at the trial, said he had the first bag for himself, and found the other two in a package he picked up while being strip-searched in Manawatu¯ Prison.

Summing up the case for the jury yesterday, Judge Stephanie Edwards said certain facts were accepted in relation to some bags.

Tregoweth accepted that he knew the first and third bags contained meth and that he had control over them, but he denied having them for supply. He also denied possessing the second bag of meth, claiming he had pulled it out of the package, not knowing what it was.

The Crown said the fact that Tregoweth was arrested with four cellphones, items which could be used as weapons, drug paraphernalia and $5680 cash showed that he was a drug dealer.

Tregoweth, however, said the lack of drug dealing equipment such as tick lists – lists of debtors and how much they owed for drugs – small resealable plastic bags and electronic scales, showed he was not a dealer.

The judge said the jury would have to acquit if it believed Tregoweth’s testimony or even if it left them with doubt.

But even if they rejected it, they still had to look at the other evidence to see if it proved Tregoweth’s guilt beyond all reasonable doubt, the judge said.

The law required the jury to presume that Tregoweth had the big bag of meth for supply, as it weighed more than 5g, with Tregoweth having to prove it was more likely than not that he was not supplying.

The judge also reminded the jury to not hold any prejudice over Tregoweth because he was a drug user.

’’His lifestyle is likely quite different from yours.’’

Tregoweth will be in custody until his sentencing in April.