Dope grower stays quiet over phone pin number
A Nelson man refused to give police access to his cellphone despite being told it was an offence, saying he was ‘‘going to court anyway’’.
Ru Daniel Hector Dawson, 44, appeared before Nelson District Court on Monday on multiple charges, including possessing methamphetamine and utensils, unlawfully having firearm ammunition, and growing cannabis on his property.
Dawson was at his Nelson home in August when the police conducted a search of his property.
In one of the upstairs bedrooms police found a small bag of cannabis, several methamphetamine pipes and a 12-gauge shotgun round on a bedside table.
In another room, there were two digital scales and two more pipes in a table. Four pipes were found in a plastic bin nearby.
Police also discovered the garage had been converted into a growing room.
There were five cannabis seedlings growing under the lights.
More pipes were found in a room beneath the garage, as well as another shotgun round, $100 in cash, and ziplock bags.
A lock box was found with items used to measure drugs, as well as a bag with a quarter of a gram of methamphetamine in it.
Two bags of cannabis, a cellphone, and a police scanner were also found in the room.
At the time Dawson lived in a dwelling at the rear of the property, and was renting out the house to a friend.
When asked by police, Dawson admitted to using the pipes to consume meth. He admitted the cannabis found upstairs was his, as well as the seedlings in the garage.
Dawson denied selling meth but said he did sell cannabis occasionally.
He tried to claim the cannabis found upstairs was his, but was unaware his flatmate had already claimed it.
Dawson confirmed the cell phone found was his. When asked for the pin, he asked police if he was obligated to give it.
When Dawson was advised it was an offence not to, he chose not to give police the pin, saying he was ‘‘going to court anyway’’.
Police sought for the disposal of the items seized in the raid, as well as the forfeiture of the money found as proceeds of crime.
Dawson pleaded guilty to the charges. He will appear on January 19 for sentencing.