Man sold LSD to policeman

Press, 20 July 1977, Page 4

Man sold LSD to policeman

The "grass” found under the bed of a suspected drug pusher during a raid by detectives proved < >n analysis to be largely what the man. claimed it was -- ordinary! grass — and only 10 per cent of the vegetation was cannabis, which had been diluted with grass clippings, I Mr Justice Casey and a jury: were told in the Supreme Court yesterday. After deliberating for an I [hour, the jury found John 1 i Patrick Hamilton, aged 30,1 unemployed, guilty of selling i LSD to an undercover con-1 stable on December 4, but: ■not guilty on a charge of having possession of cannabis for supply on December 22. His Honour remanded ! Hamilton in custody to July | 22 for sentence. , Mr D. J. L, Saunders apjpeared for the Crown, and, .'Messrs C. A. McVeigh and J. I Cassells for the defendant: i who pleaded not guilty to Jboth charges. Opening his case, Mr I (Saunders said that on De-'

• cernber 4 the defendant was asked by an undercover con-) stable whether it was possible “to score a few trips ,)off him,” which meant! : could he obtain LSD from ■ 'him. They had discussed the ;! “acid” (LSD) scene in .! Christchurch. The undercover constable! purchased three cellophane l .) sachets containing LSD from the defendant, who arranged: [the sale and the price to be '[paid, although his wife had: handed over the sachets. The ' drugs were later handed to: | the detective sergeant in )charge of the drug squad. A fortnight later, on December 22, a police party: ) executed a search warrant: ion a residence in Queens-■ bury Street. A cardboard. I box containing tin foil and! 'vegetation was found under: ) the bed in which the defend- i I ant was lying. It was later) [ascertained that there were: ) 22.7 grams of cannabis ■lamong the vegetation. When asked by a detective) if he remembered a person (named Tony visiting him on! 'the night of December 4, the!

5 defendant had replied: “I; - knew he was a cop before ■ he even came.” The defendant denied selling any acid' Ito the man, and said that he i must have purchased it from : someone else. 1 At the C. 1.8. office, the :defendant was asked about' ! lthe cannabis, and he said "that it was only ordinary 1 grass and not cannabis,: H which belonged to a friend! '(who was going to sell to a: 'person who had “ripped him: “off.” The term “grass” was: ’(slang for cannabis, Mr Saun-i '(ders said. Lewis Kenneth Pannell, a J scientist employed by the! of Scientific and! H Industrial Research, said: J that he had received 59 pieces of tinfoil from the ,) police containing vegetation.) (On analysis it was found' J that 10 per cent of the vegeJtation was cannabis, and the ['remainder grass clippings. The defendant did not give .'evidence but the defence ’) called his wife, Kathryn Veronica Hamilton, and two dother witnesses.