Two seamen jailed

Press, 19 April 1985, Page 8

Two seamen jailed

Two British seamen who had admitted importing 175 grams of hashish into New Zealand had lost their tickets and could never work again in the Merchant Navy, Mr Justice Holland was told in the High Court yesterday. His Honour jailed Anthony Kelly, aged 21, and David Darcy Kenyon, aged 20, both of whom were assistant stewards in theAustralia Star, for a week on a charge of importing a class B drug. They each pleaded guilty. The sentence means that they will be deported immediately at the shipping company’s expense. The Australia Star arrived at New Plymouth on

March 16 from the Gulf States. During a search, customs officers seized 175 grams of hashish hidden in a stanchion below a hatch. When the ship reached Lyttelton on March 19 Kelly and Kenyon were questioned about the hashish found at New Plymouth. They admitted that they had bought it in Bombay and said that it was for their own use during the voyage. For the Crown, Mr R. E. Neave said that the quantity of the drug was so large that it was not accepted that it was for their own use. Mr T. J. G. Allan, for both accused, said that they had confessed to ownership of

the hashish after one crewman, who did not drink, smoke, or take drugs had been subjected to considerable harassment by customs officers and was in a distressed state. They implicated themselves to save the man further distress. Kelly had been in the Australia Star for more than two years and Kenyon for three. They had both studied to make the Merchant Navy a career and now that they could no longer work as seamen they would find it very difficult to get jobs in Britain, where unemployment was high. They had spent a week in custody, said Mr Allan.