Leniency shown to duo over gang association

A Whangarei couple with gang links, who stored tens of thousands of dollars from a methamphetamine making and dealing criminal organisation, have been sentenced.

They were given home detention after a High Court judge said the offending was out of character.

Stephanie Moira Samuels, 34, and Wiremu Haua Parao, 33, appeared in the High Court at Whangarei last week after they admitted participating in an organised criminal group.

Justice Simon Moore said the pair had led virtually blameless lives and were sucked into the world of the pernicious and dangerous drug by a Head Hunters gang leader.

The pair were arrested as part of the police operation Easter, which targeted large-scale methamphetamine (or P) manufacturing and dealing run by a criminal group that included Head Hunters members.

It centred on covert surveillance of a house in Taipuha Rd at Waiotira, between Whangarei and Paparoa, where the group made at least 9kg of meth over 10 weeks with a street value of $3.2 million to $4.5 million.

Justice Moore said Parao was hooked into the group by its alleged ringleader Brownie Harding, who gave Parao about $80,000 in cash to look after.

Parao also registered a car belonging to Harding in his own name to avoid its true owner being discovered.

"You two operated as custodians of significant sums of money generated by this group on behalf of Brownie Harding. That means you participated in the group."

He said Parao was highly thought of by his boss at the mechanics where he worked.

He sentenced Parao to a starting point of two years and three months in prison, but that was reduced to 20 months after allowing a reduction for his guilty plea, which allowed him to consider home detention.

He sentenced Parao to 10 months' home detention and said he hoped he had learnt a salutary lesson.

Justice Moore said Samuels also had a permanent job in a butchery store and was considered a valued employee. The number of people in the public gallery of the court also showed that the couple - who had two children - were well supported by family, he said.

He sentenced Samuels to home detention for nine months, saying she too had led a virtually blameless life and her crime was out of character.