Man sentenced to home detention for drug, gun offences

A MAN who had drugs posted to his letterbox will serve homedetention at the same address where his offending took place.

Joshua Haddon was sentenced yesterday in the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to nine charges, which included possession of methamphetamine for supply, possession of cannabis, possession of MDMA for supply and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Judge Kevin Phillips said police started a comprehensive investigation into the matter in August 2020 as part of an operation targeting the supply of methamphetamine in the wider Wanaka area.

Judge Phillips said during March and November of that year Haddon travelled to Auckland five times — often booking late — either the day before travelling or the day of travel.

He then had drugs delivered to his letterbox.

The judge said the man was arrested at Queenstown Airport in November last year and on the same day, police carried out a search of his Lake Hawea property, where officers found a doublebarrelled shotgun and a pumpaction shotgun, both of which had been illegally modified, 102g of cannabis head and 5.7g of methamphetamine.

‘‘You never had any firearm licence,’’ the judge said.

Defence lawyer Roger Eagles said the participation of his client in the offending was to enable his letterbox to be used for the drug to be delivered.

‘‘Drugs have been sent to his letterbox but they [the drugs] were picked up by other people from the letterbox. Although you can say he was a resident of the house, there was no drug offending apart from his own possession.’’

The guns found in the property were used as pest control measures, he said.

Mr Eagles asked the judge to consider a home detention sentence for the man as he was cooperative and had sole custody of his son.

Crown prosecutor Mike Brownlie said he did not oppose home detention, but he believed the Lake Hawea address was not suitable as it was where the offending happened.

He could not agree with the submission from the defence the guns were solely for pest control.

Mr Brownlie said the man should be referred to a rehabilitation residence to deal with his addiction as while he was on bail he failed a meth test twice.

Judge Phillips said there was nowhere in the presentencing report of any proof of his addiction, but agreed he had troubles with the proposed address for home detention.

However, ‘‘reluctantly’’ he sentenced the man to six months’ home detention at the address as the presentence report writer did not consider any problem with the location.

He said Haddon would be supported there by his family.

He also said the man could have no possession of any alcohol or drugs, and would need to attend any psychological and drug treatment as imposed by Corrections.