A man charged in relation to an alleged 20-year cannabis operation supplying the south appeared in Queenstown District Court this week.

Brian Anthony McCarthy, 62, of Arthurs Point, appeared before Judge Michael Turner charged with several drugs offences between October 2008 and April this year.

He faces 19 charges of cultivating cannabis, one charge of selling cannabis, on April 4, and conspiring to sell cannabis on May 25.

The charges included alleged cultivation of plots, some marked by police using GPS co-ordinates, at Arthurs Point, Glenorchy, Irthing, Redcliffe, Monowai and Rarakau.

Judge Turner granted an extension to allow police time to file formal written statements.

McCarthy was remanded on bail to reappear in the court on September 12.

The police sting last month, dubbed Operation Canary, busted an alleged cannabis operation worth millions of dollars after a four-year investigation. About 30 police were involved in the bust.

Possessing drug for supply A woman charged in relation to a five-month police operation appeared in court yesterday. Police busted an alleged Queenstown P ring supplied by a clandestine Auckland lab.

The woman, 30, who has interim name suppression, faced six charges of possessing methamphetamine for supply. She was remanded on bail to September 14 for a post-committal conference.

Lawyer Sonia Vidal, appearing on instructions, said three charges were already set down for the September hearing and asked for all matters to be heard then to enable police to prepare formal written statements. She asked for existing name suppression to apply to all six charges and said police consented to suppression regarding mental health and the woman's father's job.

Judge Turner granted interim name suppression on all six charges.

Assault with a weapon
Tara Lynne McCrostie, 42, cook, Canadian national, of Fernhill, assault using a weapon, on May 16. She was refused entry to the Boiler Room bar, picked up a metal flower pot and threw it at a doorman, missing him and striking the female victim. Remanded on bail to August 13 for sentence.

Theft
Life Clausen, 47, driver, of Makarora, was fined $150 and ordered to pay $15 reparation for stealing $15 from a purse on June 21. He told police the victim, whose purse he found in Wanaka, should not complain as she got her wallet back.

Alexander George Yeo, 49, of Wanaka, was fined $350 and ordered to pay $20 reparation for stealing a $20 DVD from Video Ezy on May 27.

Michael Edward Lyall Hawe, 27, painter, of Fernhill, was sentenced to 120 hours community work and ordered to repay the $560 he stole from the property of Simple Solutions, between March 1 and May 25.

Threatening Mohammad Mortaza Nazari, 18, food industry worker, Afghan national, was convicted and discharged for threatening to injure, with intent to intimidate, and threatening behaviour likely to cause violence to start, on May 5.

Altering document
Glenn Elliot Bussell, 41, of Wanaka, was convicted and remanded to August 27 to apply for a discharge without conviction for altering a document with intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage by deception, namely an invoice, on April 15.

Careless driving causing injury
Kathryn Sarah Butler, 26, computing professional, of Crown Tce, was remanded to August 13 for sentence for careless driving causing injury on April 20. An 84-year-old female victim died seven weeks after the crash.

Hirofumi Ozawa, 27, of Wanaka, was fined $400, disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay $170 reparation for careless driving causing injury, on June 2.

Drink-driving
Jaynisha Patel, 20, waitress, was sentenced to 250 hours community work and disqualified from driving for nine months from December for driving with a breath alcohol level of 820mcg and while disqualified, on June 30.

Hans Mathew Mills, 17, of Wanaka, 383mcg on June 23. Fined $300, disqualified for three months.

Benjamin Patrick Coutts, 36, Australian national, 517mcg, July 14. Fined $400, disqualified for six months.

Robert Hugh Ffiske, 47, of Arrowtown, 482mcg, June 29. Fined $375, disqualified for six months.

Unlawfully carrying pistol
A Frankton man was ordered to come up for sentence if called on for threatening a journalist and unlawfully carrying an air pistol.

Jamie Mathew Sutherland, 29, of Frankton, unemployed, was ordered to come up for sentence if called on within 12 months for carrying an air pistol in a public place except for some lawful purpose, on March 2, and threatening to kill, on April 24. He threatened to kill a staff member in The Southland Times and Mirror offices.

The firearm charge related to an incident when police picked up Sutherland carrying an air pistol and a radio scanner in Frankton.

Lawyer Mike Newell said his client had contacted an autism support group in Dunedin to enquire about support for Asperger's syndrome.

Judge Turner said he previously indicated such a sentence provided Sutherland kept out of trouble.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Comments