Four charged with making morphine

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 4

Four charged with making morphine

Police drug squad members arrived at a flat in Christchurch on July 12 as persons inside were involved in' the manufacture of morphine, it’was alleged in 'the District Court yesterday. One detective said in evidence that inside, the flat, in Trafalgar Street, there was a strong smell of chemicals and a misty haze permeating the flat. As a result of the police raid, four persons appeared for the taking of depositions on a joint drugs charge. The defendants were Mark Earland Thomas, aged 30 (Mr M. J. Glue), Douglas James’ Archer, aged 30, a chef (Mr G. R. Lascelles and . Mr A. N. D. Garrett), Michael Paul Dench, aged 26, a bricklayer’s assistant (Mr K. J. Grave), and Sharyn Marie Morgan, aged 21, a receptionist (Mr R. J. Murfitt). Each was jointly charged with manufacturing morphine on July 12, and Dench and Morgan were also jointly charged with permitting the premises in Trafalgar Street to be used for manufacturing morphine. After seven of the nine prosecution witnesses had been heard, Messrs R. C. Holland and L. Hudson, Justices of the Peace, adjourned the hearing to today for completion. Mr D. J. L. Saunders, outlining the police case, said members of the police drug squad on July 12 searched the flat, which it was believed was being used for maldng morphine. Numerous items of laboratory equipment and chemicals, which the police

contend were used for making morphine, were found in the kitchen. The four defendants were at the flat, but Thomas and Dench attempted to leave by the rear entrance. As they did so a test tube was dropped. Evidence would be that this was found to contain morphine which the police alleged had been made in the flat, Mr Saunders said. Empty packets of pirophen were found in the flat. Evidence was that that day Dench had bought a packet of pirophen from a chemist shop, and that Morgan had called at the same shop that day and asked to buy some chloroform which she said a veterinarian required for her horse. She was told that chloroform was no longer stocked, and she would have to get her veterinarian to call. Mr Saunders said the police found in the flat a hand-written recipe for making the drug. Deteictive G. D. McCambridge said that when the police party entered the flat he noticed “a strong smell of chemicals and a misty haze permeating throughout the flat.” Previous experience indicated to him that equipment in the flat, and materials, were set up for drug manufacture. He interviewed Thomas, who said he had been asked to call at the flat for a “taste.” He had washed the glassware only to help the others. He was not sure what was being made up; he had just heard it was morphine. Detective R. W. Shannon

said that when the police arrived Archer ran upstairs. He was apprehended there and said he had run off because he had called to see Dench who was a friend of his, but did not want to be involved with the “brewing” of morphine.

He said he did not have any part in the morphine process. In a written statement he allegedly said a recipe for making morphine, found in a satchel in his possession, was his and he. had got it from another person. The detective said that, at a later part of the interview, he suggested to Archer that he had been more involved in the drug manufacturing than he had let on. Archer acknowledged that he had been. Detective R. A. Ashley said that Morgan, in a written statement, allegedly said she shared the flat with Dench. She said Thomas began mixing things up in the kitchen. It was too complicated for her to know about. Pills were being mixed up to manufacture drugs. Cross-examined, Detective Ashley said the impression she gained was that Morgan was being given jobs to do without knowing the significance of them. (Before Judge Pain CHARGE DENIED A charge of assaulting Penelope Francis Savage with intent to injure her was denied by Donna Maree Dixon. Dixon, aged 18, a labourer, Mr K. J. Grave, was remanded to October 31 for a defended hearing. Bail was set at $5OO and

the defendant was ordered to report daily to the police. The Judge ordered that she undergo a psychiatric examination. The police say the offence took place on October 14. DEPOSITIONS Trial by jury was sought by a man charged with giving a fictitious bomb scare message over the telephone on October 4. The defendant, aged 38 (Mr P. J. Rutledge), who was granted continued interim suppression of his name, was remanded at large to November 29 for the taking of depositions. The charge, said to be work related, relates to a telephone message that there was a bomb at the M.E.D. sub-station in Packe Street. ASSAULT CHARGE James Edward Harris, aged 30, a labourer, denied a charge of having assaulted a child, aged three years and five months, about September 30. Harris, represented by Mr W. Rosenberg, was remanded in custody to December 11 for a defended hearing. TRIAL A refuse collector charged with obtaining liquor and cash, valued at $7OO, by means of a false pretence, was remanded at large to November 15 for the taking of depositions. Dallas Stewart Tahere, aged 39 (Mr W. Rosenberg), is charged that on September 1 he obtained the liquor and cash from a city hotel using a worthless cheque made out for $2740 by falsely representing it to be genuine.