A Tauranga man who attempted to manufacture methamphetamine at home fell "a long way short," his lawyer told a judge today.
When Mark Roulston appeared for sentence in Tauranga District Court today, Judge Thomas Ingram was looking at a lengthy term of imprisonment.
Counsel Tony Balme, however, pleaded for home detention and a residential treatment course for drug addiction.
Roulston stood looking worried and fidgeting in the dock throughout the lengthy debate, repeatedly rubbing his hand over his face.
Manufacturing methamphetamine involved toxic chemicals and could be an "extremely dangerous undertaking - more so than a lot of other drugs," the judge said.
Balme agreed, but submitted that Roulston fell well short of that, given the ingredients he was "playing around with" and the fact that his efforts were unsuccessful.
Balme, who is representing defendants in some serious drug trials at the High Court, said he knew quite a lot about what made up P and "it seems to me there is a lot of stuff missing from his (Roulston's) efforts."
The judge agreed but said given the defendant's record of convictions, his reasonably regular court appearances and the nature of the offence it was unlikely that home detention would be appropriate, especially given that the offending was in his own house.
Judge Ingram said a sentence of just over two years in prison would put Roulston "straight into the hands of the Parole Board."
There would be access to programmes behind bars and the Parole Board might release him early to attend a live-in treatment course.
Despite past opportunities, Roulston had not shown any ability to rehabilitate himself, the judge said.
Balme submitted that "nothing less than a residential programme" was going to help his client. He had been accepted into a Bridge (alcohol and drug rehabilitation) course which would effectively be an 18-month sentence.
Judge Ingram eventually conceded.
The defendant was bailed until December 20 pending a report on the option of home detention and completing the Bridge programme.
-NZPA
When Mark Roulston appeared for sentence in Tauranga District Court today, Judge Thomas Ingram was looking at a lengthy term of imprisonment.
Counsel Tony Balme, however, pleaded for home detention and a residential treatment course for drug addiction.
Roulston stood looking worried and fidgeting in the dock throughout the lengthy debate, repeatedly rubbing his hand over his face.
Manufacturing methamphetamine involved toxic chemicals and could be an "extremely dangerous undertaking - more so than a lot of other drugs," the judge said.
Balme agreed, but submitted that Roulston fell well short of that, given the ingredients he was "playing around with" and the fact that his efforts were unsuccessful.
Balme, who is representing defendants in some serious drug trials at the High Court, said he knew quite a lot about what made up P and "it seems to me there is a lot of stuff missing from his (Roulston's) efforts."
The judge agreed but said given the defendant's record of convictions, his reasonably regular court appearances and the nature of the offence it was unlikely that home detention would be appropriate, especially given that the offending was in his own house.
Judge Ingram said a sentence of just over two years in prison would put Roulston "straight into the hands of the Parole Board."
There would be access to programmes behind bars and the Parole Board might release him early to attend a live-in treatment course.
Despite past opportunities, Roulston had not shown any ability to rehabilitate himself, the judge said.
Balme submitted that "nothing less than a residential programme" was going to help his client. He had been accepted into a Bridge (alcohol and drug rehabilitation) course which would effectively be an 18-month sentence.
Judge Ingram eventually conceded.
The defendant was bailed until December 20 pending a report on the option of home detention and completing the Bridge programme.
-NZPA
source: newshub archive
