Ex-senior cop pleads not guilty to drugs supply

Police allege the offences happened while Blowers was still employed in a senior position by police in Whangarei. Photo / Campbell Live

A former Northland police detective sergeant has pleaded not guilty to charges that he supplied methamphetamine and cannabis and also stole methamphetamine.

Michael David Blowers, 43, appeared in the High Court at Whangarei yesterday where he denied three charges laid by Crown Prosecutor Mike Smith.

Blowers is charged with supplying the Class A drug methamphetamine to a woman on a number of occasions between June 1, 2011 and June 31, 2012; a charge of supplying the Class C drug cannabis to the same woman at least once during the same period and a third charge of stealing methamphetamine on or about October 19, 2011.

Supplying methamphetamine, or P as it is known, carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Police allege the offences happened while Blowers was still employed in a senior position by police in Whangarei. At the end of that period Blowers headed the Northland Organised Crime Unit, which looked into drug offending in the region.

Yesterday Justice Paul Heath, who presided over the callover via audio visual link from Auckland, remanded Blowers on bail for callover in the court on November 28 when a date is likely to be set for a trial to hear the charges. Blowers has been excused from appearing at that callover.

If there were any pre-trial matters a date to hear them would also be set at the November callover hearing.

The police investigation started after a police staff member came forward with concerns.