Drug supplier sent to jail

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 4

Drug supplier sent to jail

Any person involved in the trafficking of drug's must be aware that they face a custodial sentence if caught, said Mr B. A. Palmer, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The Magistrate was addressing Ross Alexander Davison, aged 23, who was appearing before him for sentence on four charges of supplying drugs to an undercover constable early last year. Davison was sent to prison for six months.

The Magistrate said it was often said by some members of the public that cannabis, was no more harmful to a person’s health than alcohol was.

“Anyone who says that is irresponsible and a fool,” the Magistrate said. He said the drug was toxic and that it was retained in the body where it affected the cells.

Davison had earlier been convicted on three charges of supplying a class B-controll-drug, cannabis, and one of

■supplying a class B-controll-ed drug, cannabis oil, to the constable early last year. Counsel (Mr G. M. Brodie) said the charge arose because of the activities of the undercover constable who was active in Christchurch for nine months last year.

He submitted that his client had only a minor involvement with drug dealing. Davison had no regular source of supply and had gained nothing financially from the transactions with the constable.

What he had done was by way of doing a favour for a friend. Mr Brodie said that on at least 30 occasions up to two weeks prior to his arrest his client had declined requests from the undercover constable for further supplies of cannabis.

Mr Brodie said Davison had for 12 years been an active surf life-saver, had been a voluntary fireman at New Brighton, and was a senior football player.