Prisoner ‘not a fat cat drug pusher’

Press, 5 December 1981, Page 4

Prisoner ‘not a fat cat drug pusher’

The prisoner was no “fat cat" drug pusher leading a life of luxury out of the misery and weakness of others, Mr M. J. Glue said in the High Court yesterday. Mr Glue was appearing for Edward Raymond Philip Snyder, aged 27, a boat builder, who was found guilty by a jury in the High Court at Timaru last week on a charge of possession of cannabis for supply. Mr Justice Roper fined Snyder $5OO and sentenced him to eight months periodic detention. He also put him on probation for a year.

Trevor Clifford Atkins, aged 24, an electrician, who was tried at the same time as Snyder on more serious drug charges, was remanded in custody to December 18 for sentence because his counsel (Mr P. H. B. Hall) was overseas.

Evidence was given at the trial that about 2.15 a.m. on February 10 the Ashburton police stopped an old utility vehicle containing Snyder and Atkins. They were both nervous and agitated and their hands were trembling. A large quantity of cannabis was found wrapped in longjohns underwear hidden under the front seat.

Snyder said in evidence that he had grown the cannabis in a pine plantation at Omarama and had harvested it in earty February because he could not afford to buy the drug. He had taken it with him on the trip to Christchurch because he thought that if he left it in his hut at Twizel it might be stolen.

Mr Glue said that Snyder had learnt his lesson before he had stood trial in the High Court at Timaru. At the time Snyder had been living at Twizel — an isolated place and his lifestyle had been rugged and boring. Snyder had no substantial assets and was bankrupt after a business failure. The old car in which the drug was discovered was under hire purchase and payments had fallen into arrears.

It was obvious that Snyder was not a man of means who had made his “pile” through drug dealing. Counsel had been assigned to him by the State.

Although Snyder had been a heavy and frequent user of cannabis hard drugs were not his scene. He had grown his own supply. In the isolated areas of the back country many plantations of cannabis were being cultivated.

However, his attitude had completely changed as indi-

cated by the evidence he gave at his trial when he said: “I don’t smoke cannabis now. I find it a bit of a waste of time. I don’t really need it. I am very happy in the job I’m doing now. I don’t need it.

“When I was going downhill it was something that happened to be around but now I have a pleasant job and I haven't really got time to think about it." Mr Glue said quoting Snyder. Snyder was respected as a workman and was getting satisfaction from his job. After spending a week in Addington Prison he now fully realised where his lifestyle had been leading him. He was a young man who had something to contribute to the community, Mr Glue said.

His Honour said that he accepted that there was no evidence that Snyder was heavily involved in dealing and indeed there was no evidence of actual dealing. It was the quantity of 105 grams which led to the

presumption which caught him. Snyder had had his fair share of problems. The failure of his business and his bankruptcy could well have led to his involvement with cannabis. “One matter that did concern me was the fact that not long before this incident you had been convicted of cultivating cannabis. It may be as you say, that at the time of the present offence, 10 months ago now. you were not out of the rut. You have got a wonderful chance of rehabilitation with sympathtic employers and I am reluctant to destroy that chance," his Honour said.

He had given a good deal of thought to the case and had been through the records of sentences in other courts in New Zealand for comparable amounts of cannabis. It seemed that imprisonment was not the inevitable consequence.

“I think you must be given a final chance in the circumstances," said his Honour.