Meth case in court

Two people arrested in a police operation cracking down on the illegal methamphetamine trade in Northland will make their next court appearance next week. Kane Jason Murray, farmer of Wheki Valley, 29, is jointly charged with Fiona Nivika McFarland, 28, of Onerahi, that between December 3 and 4 last year manufactured methamphetamine and again on or before March 24, 2019. It is a charge that has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The other charges they both face are unlawful possession of a firearm .303 calibre action rifle, unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm a Ruger mini-30 rifle, possession of precursor substances and produced a class B drug ephedrine. The duo will both appear in the Whangārei District Court on June 17. Two rural properties in Wheki Valley – between Maungatapere and Tangiteroria – were searched at first light and four firearms were recovered from these properties including a semi-automatic prohibited weapon in May this year.

Lucky Lotto win
A Northland Lotto player is $166,667 richer after winning Lotto First Division in Wednesday night’s draw. The ticket, sold online at MyLotto, was among six nationally that each won a share of the $1 million First Division prize. Each of the six players won $166,667.

Driving charges
The day before New Zealand went into Covid-19 lockdown Shane Karl Raynor Legg allegedly decided not to stop for police when driving on a Whangārei street. However, police did manage to stop the 36-year-old later and booked him a court appearance. Legg faces charges of driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police and dangerous driving causing injury, all on March 25. He will appear again in the Whangārei District Court on July 30 for callover.

Grape growers contest
A “firm date”, of Friday August 7, has been set for the Auckland-Northland Young Viticulturist of the Year competition, at Kerikeri’s Marsden Estate, with the winner going on to contest the national title in October. Last year’s regional winner was Pietro Aloisi, from Kerikeri’s Ake Ake Vineyard, with Jake Dromgool, from The Landing, on Purerua Peninsula, the runner-up.

Wine tales sought
Kerikeri author Graham Bathgate is collecting previously unpublished wine stories for a book due to be published later this year. Contributions of up to 2500 words, in any style or form, including essays, fiction, creative non-fiction, humour, real-life stories, even poems or vignettes, can be sent to g.bathgate26@gmail.com until August 30. Go to www.finelinepress.co.nz for more information.

Former AFL player and coach Dean Laidley was arrested with “methamphetamine” in a bra he was wearing and allegedly phoned woman he is accused of stalking 43 times, according to details read to a Melbourne court today.

The ex-footballer was arrested last week wearing women’s clothing. An officer told the court police found 0.3g of crystals in a plastic bag inside an adhesive bra Laidley was wearing, as well as loose crystals believed to be methamphetamine.

Laidley wants to be bailed to a residential rehabilitation facility and says he is looking forward to getting the help he needs.

The ex-West Coast Eagles and North Melbourne player has been behind bars since May 2, when he was arrested over accusations he had been stalking a woman.

Former teammates, coaches and club doctors have lined up with letters of reference for the 53-year-old, who is battling longstanding mental health issues.

Laidley is accused of stalking a woman, with whom he’s in a financial dispute over a property. He phoned her 43 times on May 2, police told Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.

It’s also alleged he contacted her body corporate asking for CCTV footage, which prosecutors argue was to stalk her.

Laidley’s barrister, Phil Dunn QC, said his client was fighting allegations he had been involved in aggressive confrontations with the woman at the apartment complex and suggested CCTV footage could be used as evidence that she was not telling the truth about their interactions.

He asked that Laidley be released into the care of a 24-hour residential rehabilitation clinic where he’ll receive treatment for longstanding issues including gender dysphoria and substance abuse.

“He’s not a bad man. He needs help and he’s prepared to accept this help,” Mr Dunn said.

Former AFL coaches Mark Williams, Guy McKenna and Denis Pagan wrote references for Laidley, as did his former North Melbourne teammates Brent Harvey and Wayne Schwass and ex-club president James Brayshaw.

Mr Dunn said Laidley had lived in a structured football bubble for 30 years and issues had crept to the surface since leaving the AFL.

“This man here now is a very different person to those who knew him and knew him well,” he said.

He said there were serious concerns for Laidley’s mental health.

Mr Dunn also referenced the leaking of photos of Laidley in custody. Four officers have been suspended and are expected to be charged.

The AFL Players Association will fund Laidley’s in-house care at the facility, which offers 24-hour supervision, drug testing and treatment.

An officer said police had concerns Laidley would offend if he was released.

He told the court Laidley had taken a number of photos of the property where the complainant lived, as well as asking for CCTV footage, and he had repeatedly called and sent her text messages.

After he was arrested, police found 0.3g of crystals in a plastic bag inside an adhesive bra Laidley was wearing, as well as loose crystals believed to be methamphetamine, the officer said.

Magistrate Kieran Gilligan is expected to make a decision on Laidley’s release later on Monday.

Dantrell Savage can get on with his life, now that a Columbus jury has acquitted the former NFL player of all charges stemming from a 2015 drug raid at a Hamilton Road gym he ran.

The jury deliberated about six hours before delivering the verdict at 1:40 p.m., finding the 33-year-old not guilty on charges of possessing methamphetamine, possessing meth with the intent to distribute it, and having a drug-related object.

After a police informant twice bought meth from a friend who was living at Savage Fitness Evolution, the department’s Special Operation Unit raided the business on Oct. 27, 2015, finding about 26 grams of the drug. One gram was under a desk and 25 were concealed in the battery compartment of a flashlight high on a shelf in a storage area.

Officers arrested Savage and his friend Jessie James Smith Sr., who during the trial testified the meth was his, and Savage didn’t know that he had it in the business, or that he was dealing it.

Defense attorney Stacey Jackson said Savage closed the gym afterward, and his life has been on hold ever since.

“Due to the nature of the charges, there were a lot of community service activities and a lot of different things that Dantrell wanted to do, to participate in the community, but obviously, with the charge pending, it held him back from doing that,” Jackson said.

“So, now that the case is over, he’s been exonerated of all charges, now he can get back to the business at hand.”

The attorney declined to specify what Savage plans to do next, in the realm of public service, but said he would like to open another gym.

“After everything unfolded, he just put all that on hold, for the time being, until the case was concluded,” Jackson said.

Savage still faces misdemeanor charges from a traffic stop March 23 at Manchester Expressway and the Warm Springs Connector, where he went live on Facebook to complain about the police. Officers brought a drug-sniffing dog to check Savage’s car before searching it.

They found no drugs, but charged him with misdemeanor obstruction for trying to stop the search, and with having a cracked windshield and failing to maintain his lane.

Jackson said the police Special Operations Unit conducted that traffic stop, and his client’s live online session was a result of his frustration at being detained by the same squad that raided his gym.

“You know they f—–g with me again,” Savage said on the video. “For what particular reason, I don’t know.”

Savage’s misdemeanor charges will be resolved in Muscogee State Court, Jackson said.

During the 2015 raid, investigators found a lot of cash in Savage’s gym: $44,500 in the desk and $1,448 in a wallet with Savage’s Georgia driver’s license in it in a black jacket. Police said they believed the desk was Savage’s, because it had an accident report and some hospital records with his name on them.

Jackson said those records explained the cash: Savage on Oct. 14, 2015, got a $100,000 settlement from being hit by a car. He had just gone through a divorce, and his ex-wife had access to his bank accounts, so he kept some of the settlement funds in cash to keep it out of those accounts.

Smith testified he and Savage had gone to the bank the morning before the police raid, and Savage had a box packed with cash when he came out.

Smith’s testimony likely was a key element in the not-guilty verdict, Jackson said:

“We were fortunate that Mr. Smith did come in and testify that he was responsible for the contraband that was found in the business, so that was helpful, because you don’t oftentimes see that, in a lot of different cases – someone willing to come forward and accept responsibility.”

Police initially charged Smith with selling meth, once on Oct. 7, 2015, and again the following Oct. 15, but those two counts later were dropped. He pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2016, to possessing meth with the intent to distribute it and possessing a drug-related object.

Judge Ron Mullins sentenced Smith to five years in prison with 36 months to serve. Smith testified he served 18 months before his release.

Smith said he was homeless in 2015 when Savage let him live upstairs at the gym in exchange for helping maintain the building and guarding it against break-ins overnight.

Savage graduated from Columbus’ Jordan High School, and played two seasons with Kansas City after he signed on as an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State. He played mostly on special teams before he was cut in March 2010.

He was signed to the Carolina Panthers the following August, but released before the 2010-11 season started.