Youths Remanded On Drug Charges

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31880, 7 January 1969, Page 20

Youths Remanded On Drug Charges

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 6. Three young men facing drug charges were remanded today by Mr E. F. Rothwell, S.M., in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court to January 14.

Geoffrey Arthur Proctor, aged 17, a fish splitter, pleaded guilty to six of eight charges and was remanded in custody. Steven de Lange Bennett, aged 19, an unemployed forestry worker, made no plea to nine charges and was also remanded in custody.

lan Ewing MacDonald, aged 22, a student, who pleaded not guilty to seven charges, was remanded on bail.

Proctor pleaded guilty to possessing at Auckland pethidine, cocaine, morphine and three prescription poisons. He denied using morphine at Christchurch on December 22 and receiving items stolen from the Remuera Pharmacy. De Lange Bennett entered no plea to charges of possessing pethidine, cocaine, morphine and three prescription poisons, receiving narcotics and three prescription poisons, receiving narcotics and other items stolen from the Remuera Pharmacy, possessing narcotics for the purpose of selling—all at Auckland—and using cocaine at Christchurch on December 22.

MacDonald pleaded not guilty to usin,' morphine at Christchurch jn December 25 and possessing cocaine, pethidine, morphine and possessing three prescription poisons, all at Auckland.

Sergeant T. B. Wallace said that on December 26-27 the Remuera Pharmacy was burgled and a quantity of narcotics, prescription poisons and hypodermic syringes, worth $32.29, was stolen.

On December 29 vice-squad detectives visited a flat in Remuera Roau. Half of the stolen property was found in a basket in the hall, the rest in a case in the lounge. Proctor, who opened the door to the police, had denied taking the drugs to the house. His arms were covered with injection marks, said Mr Wallace. The night before Proctor had brought a girl—a convicted drug offender—to the house. Proctor’s fingerprints were found on the property, almost all of which was recovered said Mr Wailace.