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1080 man ‘sorry’ By NATALIE BRITTAN
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Mellons Bay man who admitted blackmailing Fonterra and Federated Farmers with 1080-laced infant milk formula wrote a retraction letter and apologised. Jeremy Hamish Kerr, whose name suppression lapsed this week, appeared in the High Court at Auckland before Justice Geoffrey Venning facing two charges of blackmail. The 60-year-old businessman and long-time local pleaded guilty in December but disputed some of the facts presented by the Crown. During the two-day hearing which began on Monday, the court heard evidence from 12 Crown witnesses and watched a video of Kerr’s interview with the police. Crown prosecutor Christine Gordon QC alleged that Kerr’s threats were financially motivated. Kerr’s former East Tamaki company developed Feratox, a ground-deployed rival poison to 1080, for which Kerr received 10 per cent royalties on sales, which had declined in recent years.
Kerr claimed he and was candid throughreceived around $100,000 out, making jokes and small talk. annually in his police After police detailed interview. A former coltheir findings, includleague described Kerr’s lifestyle as an “extravaing traces of Kerr’s DNA gant” one spent on boats on the retraction letter, which was 260 times and holidays. more likely to be his than An ANZ personal any other person, Kerr banker revealed in Octo- JEREMY KERR confessed to the crimes. ber 2014 Kerr asked to increase the overdraft facility on “I just had really bad menhis mother’s account by $50,000 tal health. I regret it... I’ve been without her knowledge, explain- involved in the industry for so ing that it was split between her long I snapped one day, that was five grandchildren, which was it,” he told police. not the case. He said one of the triggers Kerr later told police that his was something he’d heard in the finances weren’t under pressure media about then Conservation and that he had given his father a Minister Nick Smith backing large-scale 1080 aerial drops. lot of money over the years. An email thread found by the He said there was “no rationale” police between Kerr and one of to his behaviour. He described his sons showed that Kerr offered the retraction letter, which bore to pay $100 for his son and four the same labels as the blackmail friends to join the Ban 1080 letters printed by a Brother label party implying that if 1080 were maker, as a “knee-jerk reaction”. banned, he would do “extremely “I just wanted it to go away. I didn’t want anything more to do well”. Supporters of the party and with it.” family members were present in When asked if he had anything to say after his arrest, Kerr said he court. During the police interview, was sorry. The disputed facts hearing is Kerr initially denied involvement
By FARIDA MASTER
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set to conclude next month and will be followed by sentencing. Kerr could face a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Timeline
■ November 27, 2014: Fonterra and Federated Farmers receive anonymous threat letters accompanied by infant milk formula samples contaminated with 1080 ■ March 10, 2015: The threat to contaminate infant milk formula with 1080 is made public resulting in products pulled from shelves and closely monitored ■ June 27: Police make contact with Kerr ■ July 3: Kerr writes a retraction letter addressed to a police officer ■ October 13: Kerr is brought in for questioning and subsequently arrested ■ December 17: Kerr pleads guilty to two charges of blackmail
New Library and Information Centre
INSIDE
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Vol 45, No 7
General 271 8000 ■ Classified 271 8055 ■ Delivery Enquiries 271 8014 ■ Website www.times.co.nz
OFFICIAL OPENING: The kapa haka group welcomes guests at the opening of the library at Bucklands Beach Primary School. Times photo Farida Master
OPEN HEARTS
OPEN DAY
It’s worth the wait! Parents, teachers, past and present board of trustees, officials from the Ministry of Education, National Library of New Zealand and students of the Bucklands Beach Primary School (BBPS) wait with anticipation for the opening of the new Library and Information Centre at the first original school of the area. It’s been three years since the school which started in 1955 has
been working on the library and information centre as well as going through major renovations. A sea of blue hats and red uniforms avidly watch the well orchestrated waiata by the BBPS kapahaka group. Karanga (a Maori ritual welcome) by representatives of Te Whare Wananga O Wairoa, Te Waka Angamua (Auckland City Council) and Te Roopu Awhina O Wairoa Trust is followed by the blessing of the library.
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