Conviction over drugs

Press, 7 May 1981, Page 5

Conviction over drugs

A man who admitted possessing 429 grams of cannabis leaf, which Judge Bradford estimated to have a street value of about $lOOO, was convicted and fined $250 in the District Court yesterday. Darryl David Calcott, aged 26, a chef, admitted the offence which occurred on May 5. Sergeant J. W. Dwyer said the cannabis leaf had been found in the defendant’s bedroom when the police had gone to the address on another matter Counsel (Mr H. P. van Schrevan) said his client had been given the drug by a person leaving New Zealand. While accepting that the

quantity was large, Mr van Schrevan said Calcott was a heavy user of the drug. In addition to the fine the Judge ordered that the cannabis material be destroyed. FINED A clerk, aged 21, earlier convicted of stealing various sums of money, totalling $230, from handbags belonging to workmates was fined $4O when she appeared for sentence. The Judge told the defendant, that although the thefts were relatively petty, the fact that the cash belonged to fellow workers made them despicable. In imposing the fine, the

Judge said he had taken into account that compensation had been paid in full and that the woman was a first offender. At the request of counsel (Mr K. N. Hampton) the defendant’s name was suppressed. The offence took place between February 23 and April 21. Mr Hampton said his client had been out of work for some time before obtaining the position where she committed the offence and she had, since the offending, now lost her job. His client’s offending was suprising considering her otherwise good record.