Guilty verdict for gang boss

The Tribesmen motorcycle gang president has been found guilty of possessing methamphetamine for supply after a jury was not convinced by a lower-level gang member’s attempt to take the blame.

Elder Browne was found guilty of the charge at the end of a threeday jury trial in the Christchurch District Court yesterday. He had been arrested on July 29 after being under police surveillance.

The car he was using was seized and $15,000 worth of methamphetamine found behind the petrol flap. Police also found three LSD tablets in the compartment of the driver’s door and 14 forged $50 notes in a dashboard compartment.

The charges in relation to the forged notes, the LSD and an alleged refusal to assist police with a computer search were dismissed by Judge Stephen O’Driscoll.

Browne’s lawyer, Tudor Clee, applied for the dismissal, saying there was no direct evidence linking his client to the charges.

After three of the four charges were dismissed, the defence called Alexander John Powell, 33, a patched member of the Tribesmen.

Powell then told the court he had attended a boxing class with Browne on the morning of July 29.

Powell said he pried open the petrol flap and hid the methamphetamine there without Browne’s knowledge.

Powell said he realised he forgot to retrieve the drugs when he heard Browne had been arrested.

Crown prosecutor Mitchell McClenaghan asked Powell if he was putting his own freedom on the line to protect his gang president, but he denied that, saying he was testifying to ‘‘get it off [his] chest’’.

Powell was arrested after his testimony and charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply, and failing to carry out obligations in relation to a computer search.

He appeared in court yesterday before a verdict had been delivered in Browne’s trial. The Crown told the court the drug charge against Powell would be dropped if Browne was found guilty of the methamphetamine charge, and Powell would instead be charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Powell’s case was postponed to today to allow Browne’s trial to be finalised first. Browne was remanded in custody and would be sentenced in June.