Nelson man discharged after 'set up’

Press, 15 June 1983, Page 1

Nelson man discharged after 'set up’

Nelson reporter Who “set up” Murray Robinson and why?

These questions are occupying the attention of C. 1.8. staff at Nelson and Mr Robinson, who yesterday had narcotics charges against him withdrawn in the District Court at Nelson.

The police had sought withdrawal of the two cannabis charges on the ground that Mr Robinson, an electrical inspector, of Richmond, had been “set up” when a police search uncovered the drugs on his property. Questioned after he had left the court, Mr Robinson expressed total amazement at how he had come to be arrested and charged with offences which carry long prison sentences. “I have never been Charged with any offence in my whole life. I have never even been to court before,” said Mr Robinson. , Asked about his arrest, Mr Robinson said the police had arrived at his home and made an extensive search of the grounds and interior of the house.

“You know, it is quite frightening. I did not realise the powers they had until now. For somebody who is totally innocent of anything like this it is very frightening,” he said.

The police knew where to go — to a playshed on the property. There they found a biscuit tin containing 22 tin-foil-wrapped “bullets” of cannabis a packet of cannabis, and a bag of cannabis seeds.

Also there was a bag of what turned out, on analysis, to be a prescription

poison drug, Doxepin hydrochloride he said. He had obtained this information later, from a letter his counsel had received from the police. Although delighted at the outcome of his court appearance, Mr Robinson was critical of the way the Eolice searchers had left his ome. He had photographs of a bed which he said had been disarranged and left in that state, and a wardrobe in which most of the clothing was either hanging hap- ' hazardly from coat-hangers or lying on the floor. Asked if he had any explanation of how, or why, he was “set up,” Mr Robinson said after considerable thought that he w.as still completely “nonplussed.” Could it have been that whoever left the narcotics at Mr Robinson’s home had left them at the wrong place? Detective Colin Merrick, head of district narcotics inquiries, replied: “It could have been an attempt to set somebody else up and they got the wrong man. I’m certain that it was a set up,” he said. Detective Merrick said he could not say how the information had come to the police. He agreed that somebody had gone to much trouble, and some expense, in the "set up.” More than 5300 was involved in cannabis alone. There were also about 40 capsules of Doxepin, believed to be an antidepressant drug, similar to Valium.

. Police inquiries would continue, he said.

Court report, page 20