Meth offer found on text messages
A man convicted of offering to supply methamphetamine via text messages that were intercepted by a police drug operation was not dealing on a commercial level, a court heard.
Gregory Laughton Reeves, 44, and some friends had pooled their money for a purchase, his lawyer Paul Keegan told Hawera District Court.
‘‘This was supply at the lowest possible level because of the noncommercial aspect. It was between consenting adults and for personal use amongst them.’’
Reeves, of Opunake, appeared for sentence on three charges: offering to supply methamphetamine; cultivating cannabis and possession of cannabis.
In July 2106, police intercepted some text messages from Reeves’ cellphone during a drug operation that targeted the supply of methamphetamine and other controlled drugs, the police summary of facts said.
The defendant’s modus operandi was to set up the supply of methamphetamine using the messages, to either confirm that he was in possession of methamphetamine or advise when he was able to obtain some,
The summary listed four offers via text to three different phone numbers. The total amount of meth from the four transactions was 0.25 grams.
When the police went to Reeves’ home on September 15 they found an electronic setup that was being used to cultivate cannabis.
Also found was an ice cream tub and a plastic bottle, both containing a combined total of 188grams of cannabis leaf.
A further search uncovered cannabis seeds growing in egg containers and 36 immature cannabis seedlings were discovered in an outside shed.
Judge Barkle agreed the offending was not of a commercial nature. ‘‘It’s not even subsistence dealing to support a habit, it falls below that,’’ he said at Tuesday’s hearing.
The seriousness of the activity was reflected in the charge carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment
‘‘As you are quite well aware, meth causes significant issues within the community. Supplying to people like yourself in the wider community assists in the general trade of that drug.’’
On the offering to supply meth charge he sentenced Reeves to five months community detention, with a curfew from 8pm to 6am. For cultivating cannabis he received 100 hours community service and for possession 75 hours. All sentences were to be concurrent.
He was also required to do 150 hours’ community work and undergo nine months’ supervision with special conditions.