Supervisor had arms and drugs in store

Press, 5 March 1987, Page 6

Supervisor had arms and drugs in store

A man who has served as the electrical maintenance supervisor at the Waitaki and Aviemore hydro-electricity power stations, and whom his counsel said had been an unswerving member of the Devil’s Henchmen motor-cycle club since its foundation, was jailed yesterday for drug and firearms offences. John Frederick Woodhams, aged 37, an electrical supervisor, of Lake Waitaki, was jailed for 21 months for what Judge Pain termed three very serious offences.

These were possessing 3246 kg of cannabis for supply to others, and possessing two pistols — one a conventional weapon and the other a sawn-off shotgun.

The offences occurred on October 9, at Lake Waitaki. The cannabis and pistols were found in a store-room, which the Judge said Woodhams had exclusive use of, at the Waitaki power station. Woodhams was given an 18 months prison term on the drug charge, and two prison sentences of three months each on the pistol charges.

The smaller sentences are to be served concurrently but added to the major sentence. The Judge also ordered the forfeiture of the two weapons. This has been sought by Mr D. J. L. Saunders, for the Crown.

Woodhams had been found guilty by a jury of the three offences at his

trial last month, and appeared for sentence yesterday. Defence counsel, Mr A. J. Shaw, of Timaru, sought a lenient prison sentence, so that the family situation — Woodhams was married, with one child — was not unduly disrupted.

Mr Shaw described Woodhams as a. strange mixture of a man, and in many Ways an enigmatic character. Mr Shaw said that Woodhams had been in many ways a model citizen until these offences. He had been an electrical maintenance supervisor at Waitaki and Aviemore power stations, and was the most senior electrician on the projects.

He had been involved with the .Devil’s Henchmen motor-cycle club since its inception, and had been an unswerving member of this group over the years.

While Woodhams’ interest was in motorcycles, some others in the group involved themselves in illegal activities including possession of cannabis, and firearms.

Woodhams had steered clear of any offending until now, and had been a positive influence on other Devil’s Henchmen to keep them within the law to the best of his ability. The Judge said there was no doubt, as counsel had submitted, that Woodhams’ association with the motor-cycle club was re-

sponsible for his offending.

There was some element of group responsibility in the offending, but Woodhams was a mature and intelligent person who would be well aware of the risk and consequences of his involvement in the offences.

• If it were a group activity, it was a fairly largescale group venture, and Woodhams was a very integral part of the group.

Woodhams had been in a position of responsibility and trust at the Waitaki power station, and had exclusive use of a store room.

That roon was used to store the cannabis, for sale, and the jury found it was in his custody and control.

It was a “colossal” quantity of the drug, amounting to 3246 g, the Judge said.

The firearms also had been found in this room, he said.

The law provided for substantial prison terms on persons involved in criminal activities with drugs. The pistol offences also were serious.

The Judge said that in fixing the term of imprisonment he took into account submissions made by Mr Shaw, and factors such as Woodhams’ excellent work record and the numerous references produced on his behalf, and his domestic and family responsibilities.