Whanganui man ordered to do community work for cannabis and ammunition crimes

Ammunition and cannabis were found at the home of Nathan David Churton who was to be arrested for breaching bail by Whanganui police. Photo / File

When Whanganui police went to the home of Nathan David Churton to arrest him for a breach of bail, they got more than they bargained for.

A strong smell led to the discovery of cannabis, and then police found ammunition at Churton's home, Whanganui District Court heard last week.

Police prosecutor Stephen Butler told the court: "At 11.30pm on Saturday, May 5, police were at the defendant's home to arrest him for a breach of bail.

"While speaking to the defendant at the front door police could smell cannabis coming from within the address."

A police search located cannabis in various forms within a suitcase inside the address, these included dried leaf material and processed cannabis.

A shotgun shell was also located within a drawer, which eventually led to the discovery of more ammunition.

Anna Brosnahan was the lawyer for the defence.

"The background to the ammunition was that a very close family friend had his children at the address the night before, possum shooting and the ammunition was left over from that," she said.

"In terms of the cannabis, it is accepted that it was of low quality, the majority of it and that seemed to be accepted by the prosecution."

Judge Garry Barkle sentenced Churton to 130 hours community work for possessing cannabis and 60 hours for unlawfully carrying ammunition, to run concurrently.

"The amount of cannabis material was getting to the region where it's hard to accept it's not for purposes of sole use, but nevertheless the sergeant explained to me that there was some issue around the quality of it.

"You appreciate that often the combination of ammunition with drugs is not a combination which makes attraction as far as the court's concerned."