Megatron transformed into drugs criminal

Flying under the radar while on the run would not be easy when your name is Megatron.

But Megatron Eardley-Wilmot managed to avoid authorities in New Zealand and Canada for four years by using false names.

His run ended on Friday when Justice Robert Dobson, in the High Court at Wellington, jailed him for six years and six months after he admitted importing ecstasy and lsd and conspiracy to import methamphetamine.

The judge said Eardley-Wilmot, 30, had been involved in planning the importation of methamphetamine with two other men, who have already received jail terms.

He recorded the numbers and names of eight post office boxes set up to receive the drugs and went to Canada in December 2003.

Justice Dobson said 84 grams of methamphetamine was sent to New Zealand and 56g of ecstasy. The imported drugs were worth more than $100,000.

When his co-offenders were caught in New Zealand, Eardley- Wilmot stayed in Canada illegally using false names.

He was found in Canada last year and extradited to New Zealand.

His lawyer, Val Nisbet, said that, in 2001, his client – then called Nicholas – had been a normal university student in Auckland when he had an accident and suffered a serious head injury. After that he changed, began using drugs and later changed his name by deed poll to Megatron.