$1250 fines for cultivating drug

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 4

$1250 fines for cultivating drug

A baker and a pastrycook' convicted on charges of cultivating cannabi> were together fined a total of $1250 'when they appeared before' Mr P .1. McAloon, S.M. in the Magistrate's Court' yesterday. Last week. Peter Francis] Jackson, aged 31. the pastrv cook, and Trevor Russel! Jackson, aged 29. the baker, both pleaded guiltv to charges of cultivating cannabis plants. The Magistrate wa- toid at the time that police found] 23 plants growing in a foil-, lined attic in the Ferry Road premises of the Stevenson’s pie factory. Counsel (Mr D. 1 Jones), who appeared for bo’h men, said his clients did not dispute the summary of facts except to say that they did] not put the aluminium foil paper in the attic. It was a heat-resistant foil! which had already been; installed in the factory, al-1 though Mr Jones conceded’ that his clients had taker, advantage of it. Both men. who had] smoked cannabis in the past,] had been growing the 23 plants together for their own use. Mr Jones said they had! grown the drug because thev found it expensive to, purchase. There had been no question of them growing the cannabis for supply, he said.. Peter Jackson, he said, had smoked cannabis foi about seven years as an j alternative to alcohol. He also had a previous: conviction for cultivating] cannabis a year ago for l

|which he was t:ned $2OO. | Since his arrest Jacksv.i had not smoked the drug said Mr JoneThe Magi*; rate said the 'offence had obvioush been ■well planned by the two defendants. He suggested the choice of location had betrayed the trust placed m the two men by their employer Growing, possessing, or using cannabis was beyond the law said the Magistrate. He -aid that because of Peter Jackson’s former con- , viction. he would differentiate the fines to he ini posed. Peter lackson. who. said ’the Magisuate should have known be'ter and who he i considered to be the in -tigator of the offence, w,ifined $750. Trevor Jackson was fined I $5OO. The Magistrate warned [both men that should the\ j re-offend in a similar wax 'again then thev would run I the risk of losing their liberty. FOR SENTENCE An unemployed inan was ■ committed to the Supreme j Court for sentence on May 2 ’on a charge of burglary. Darrell Paul Ramage, aged 24 was charged that together with Clive Ross Hartley and Geoffrey Carlile Norris, he broke into the Tuam Street premises of Industrial and Electrical Products (South Island), Ltd, lon or about March 8. Ramage was allowed bad of $lOOO, with a surety of the same amount, during the I remand period.