Woman denies drug charges

Press, 12 March 1983, Page 6

Woman denies drug charges

PA Auckland A detective searching a house during a drugs squad raid found Sarah Jane Finlay hiding in a wardrobe, the High Court in Auckland heard yesterday. Finlay, aged 25, had pleaded not guilty to charges of supplying heroin, supplying the drug, Palfium, to Barry Geoffrey . Chisholm, and possessing heroin for supplying others. During the fifth day of the trial a detective described how the police and customs officers searched a house in Sandringham Road on August 9. . To Mr Peter Kaye, for the Crown, Detective D. H. Mitchell'said that he kicked open the door'of the house to gain entry. In the lounge

were two persons, one of whom witness said he took in to a bedroom to interview for about 10 minutes. After the interview he returned to the bedroom and found Finlay hiding in a wardrobe. • The jury also heard evidence yesterday by Detective Sergeant J. W. Panoho, the officer in charge of the drug squad’s intelligence analysis section. Detective Sergeant Panoho said he asked Finlay if she had been using heroin. She replied that she had that day, for the first time in weeks* He asked Finlay, “Who gave you the gear (a refer-ence-to all types of drugs) today?” She had replied, “You cannot expect me to answer

that.” He said he told Finlay he believed she had supplied heroin to some person on July 25, heroin that she had received from Barry Chisholm. He also believed Finlay had supplied Chisholm with Palfium on August 1. “I said, -All we are interested in is who supplied you with the PA (Palfium). I believe it is a chemist or a doctor and we want'to put a stop to it” He said Finlay replied that she was not a “dope dealer” and that the police had the wrong person. Mr Kevin McDonald, for Finlay, asked Detective Sergeant Panoho whether he had invited her to make a statement. “No, I did not ask her,” said Detective Sergeant

Panoho. He said it was normal procedure, but at the time Finlay appeared too upset. Earlier, Mr McDonald had said that the father of the accused, a former Minister of Justice, Dr Martyn Finlay, Q.C., was expected to give evidence. Detective Boulter and Detective Sergeant Panoho were each asked whether they knew that Dr Finlay had been kept waiting for about two hours at the Auckland Central Police Station after he had sought permission to see his daughter on August 9. Both detectives said they had been unaware that DiFinlay and his wife had been waiting. The trial will resume on Monday.