6 Briefly... Child assault accused in court
The Weekend Sun
P-lab crack down
A high-profile Tauranga man is to appear in Tauranga District Court tomorrow facing charges after being accused of seriously assaulting a child. The child spent two days in hospital as a result of the alleged assault. The child was treated for head and back injuries. The accused has interim name suppression and all other identifying details were suppressed when he appeared in the Tauranga District Court at the beginning of the month. He is yet to enter a plea to one charge of assault on a child. According to court documents, the 12-year-old was assaulted in Mount Maunganui in November.
House and drugs seized
A Tauranga man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in jail and has had his house seized by the crown. Mark Andrew Allen, 39, appeared in the Tauranga District Court last week where he was sentenced to imprisonment and had his $323,000 house seized by the courts. Allen was sentenced for possession of cannabis for supply, selling cannabis and cultivation of cannabis. Police raided his Cheyne Road property in October and seized more than 80 cannabis plants, all at various stages of cultivation. They found what is being described as a sophisticated cannabis-growing operation with air ducts, lighting and specialised growing timers.
Skateboarding tower bailed
A Whakamarama man accused of being responsible for injuring a 14-year-old boy who suffered serious injuries when he fell off his skateboard, has been granted bail. Brendon Michael Dowd, 44, appeared in the Tauranga District Court this week charged with reckless driving causing injury. He is accused of towing skateboarders behind a car on Taurikura Drive in Tauriko Industrial Park on October 4, when the 14-year-old fell off his board and lost consciousness. Dowd is yet to enter a plea on the charge and is due back in court on December 21.
Bail for P accused
Two of three people arrested following a police search of a P lab at Mount Maunganui on November 28 continued their bail after additional charges were laid last Friday. Shaun Jacob MacDonald, 24, fork lift operator of Mount Maunganui and Jessica Caulfield, 21, also of Mount Maunganui, were charged with possessing P-making equipment, precursor chemicals and with possessing P. A third offender, Troy Kakau, 31, bank officer of Mount Maunganui, was remanded in custody on December 11 on other matters and will next appear in court on January 24. MacDonald and Caulfield are appearing in court on February 8. Co-accused Isaac Kilby, 27, a labourer of Welcome Bay, charged with supplying methamphetamine, is due back in court,January 24.
Bay of Plenty Police have been cracking down on P-labs in the Western Bay of Plenty this month.
Western Bay of Plenty have swooped on a number of properties in the Western Bay of Plenty this month as they crack down on P-labs. More than 18 people are facing a raft of drug charges after police swarmed on homes in Katikati, Tauranga and Maketu. Two of the men arrested during the Maketu raids appeared in Tauranga District Court last week. Damon Joel Best, 23, and Mark Gregory Kimber, 48, appeared charged with conspiring to supply the precursor material, iodine, knowing it was to be used to manufacture P. Kimber and Best are part of a group of people who have been arrested following drug raids in the Western Bay of Plenty this week. Operation Detroit culminated on Wednesday, December 12, in a series of search warrants in Maketu, Te Puke
and Tauranga involving approximately 40 police staff from three districts. A total of 18 people have been arrested – 16 men and two women. Three men and one woman were arrested for a variety of cannabis offences. The remaining 14 all face a variety of Class A drug-related charges. The Weekend Sun understands residents of the properties busted in Maketu were Mongrel Mob members. On Sunday, December 8, a man with Mongrel Mob tattooed across his back was arrested at a Katikati property after a P-lab at a former factory building in Park Road blew up during a police operation. Police arrested three people at the Katikati fire, including 35-year-old Maketu man Karl Goldsbury who appeared in Tauranga District Court on Monday charged with arson and conspiring to deal methamphetamine (P). He was remanded in custody to reappear on January 23.
Reunited six months on A Whanganui dog will spend Christmas at home after being found in Tauranga six months after it went missing. Tauranga City Council animal services team leader, Brent Lincoln, says someone found the dog roaming earlier in the week. “They tied it up and called council, who impounded it and scanned it and found a microchip, and traced it back to its owner in Whanganui. “When we contacted the owner, they said it went missing six months ago.” He says the benefit of microchipping was proven in this case. The dog went missing in the Rotorua Forest, where the owners had been walking her six months ago. “Obviously, looking at the dog, someone had been caring for it in the meantime but not the actual owner,” says Brent. “So we gave them a call and they came up and the dog clearly recognised the owner. It was great to get them back together again.” He says microchipping is non-invasive and is a great way of reuniting animals with their owners. “There is no question about ownership. If you’ve got two black labs, they can look alike but if one had a microchip, you know exactly who the owner is. “We have no qualms about reuniting them that way.” By Letitia Atkinson
Police seek witnesses to fatal crash
Police investigating the death of 21-yearold farm worker in the Bay of Plenty believe there are likely witnesses to the fatal crash they haven’t spoken to yet. Whakatane Police are urging any witnesses to the crash which killed Eion Gebert, near Opotiki, to come forward. Sergeant Ray Wylie says police want to trace the passenger of a vehicle involved in the crash who left the scene before police arrived. Eion was on his way to work on a motorbike at approximately 5am on Saturday, December 1, when he was struck by car travelling in the opposite direction. A witness reported the car overtook a tow truck and three others cars immediately
prior to the crash but only the truck driver stopped at the scene and spoke with police, says Ray. The driver of the car involved in the crash also spoke with police at the scene. However, his passenger is reported to have left in a silver station wagon. Although police believe they know the identity of the passenger, they have been unable to locate him to date. “It may be the drivers we have been told about knew there were other witnesses and therefore felt there was no need for them to stop. “However it is vital in these cases to ensure we obtain accounts from as many witnesses as possible so the investigation
is thorough and we can help Eion’s family understand how and why he died.” Ray says it is also essential in the interests of justice as police need to determine what, if any, enforcement action should be taken. “It is important to stress that these drivers are being sought as witnesses. There is no suggestion that they have committed any offences and therefore they have nothing to fear from coming forward.” People with information about the crash are asked to phone Opotiki Police, 07 315 1112, or Whakatane Police, 07 308 5255. Alternatively, information can be left anonymously via the Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 line.
By Letitia Atkinson
Freak dump death: man named
The man who died in a freak accident at the Waihi rubbish dump on Sunday, December 16, afternoon is Henning Petersen. The 84-year-old Waihi man suffered serious injuries when he was dragged and thrown from his car while attempting to reverse at the transfer station at the weekend. Waikato road policing manager Inspector Marcus Lynam says how Henning suffered his injuries is still under investigation. The Serious Crash Unit is investigating the accident. “What we know is while reversing at the refuge centre on Sunday morning shortly after 10am Henning has got into difficulty and as a result lost control of his car. “During the course of this loss of control he has been partially ejected from the vehicle and suffered life threatening injuries.” Henning was transported to Waikato Hospital by ambulance but died later that day. 85 THE STRAND