Designer's drug business shut down

Murdoch's home was known as "The Bank" by drug dealers. Photo / Supplied

A Wellington designer whose property was called "The Bank" by drug dealers has been sentenced following a major investigation.

Justice David Collins said an Organised and Financial Crime Agency (Ofcanz) investigation from February 2013 to June 2014 targeted methamphetamine and other illicit drug dealing in Wellington.

Wellington designer Trace Wilson Murdoch, 54, pleaded guilty in September to participating in an organised criminal group.

He was sentenced this morning at the High Court in Wellington, along with a local woman also arrested following the investigation.

Justice Collins said Murdoch allowed his property to be used for drug dealing.

Murdoch's home was known as "The Bank", Justice Collins said. "The significance of that terminology speaks for itself."

The Judge said although Murdoch "turned a blind eye" to the amounts of money being made in a wider operation, he was aware the drug enterprise had a commercial nature.

"You therefore provided support ... for their drug-dealing operation."

However, the court heard Murdoch was not a major player in the drug game. Police found only about $4200 in cash of Murdoch's allegedly connected to drugs.

He was sentenced to 11 months' home detention.

In the same courtroom this morning, Annette Alicia Holden, 41, was sentenced to six months' home detention on drugs charges.

Holden pleaded guilty to one charge of supplying the Class B drug morphine, one of offering to sell Class C drug cannabis, and one of possessing cannabis.

The Judge said Ofcanz intercepted communications showing Holden supplied 10 morphine sulphate tablets on three separate occasions.

Prosecutor Harriet Goodhew said the Crown shared some of Justice David Collins' concerns about Holden's suitability for home detention.

But defence lawyer Christopher Stevenson said an earlier report was "predicated on a misunderstanding".

Mr Stevenson said Holden's Housing New Zealand case officer confirmed Holden was up to date with her rental property payments and not at risk of eviction.

The defence lawyer said Holden was in an opiate treatment service, was doing well in this programme, and maintained she was drug-free.

Holden returned home "halfway through a search" police were carrying out, and was caught with bags of cannabis, Justice Collins told the court.

"The nature of your offending was premeditated," the judge told Holden.

But he also said Holden "played a lesser role" within a much larger drug operation.

Mr Stevenson earlier said the offending was neither premeditated nor commercially-motivated.

Justice Collins said a non-custodial sentence for Class B drug offending was appropriate for Holden, given the small quantities of drugs involved.

She had previous convictions for drug offending going back to 2008 but the Judge said these convictions were insignificant.

Holden was also given credit for her guilty pleas.

Several members of the public arrived at court to show their support for Holden.

Some details around the Ofcanz operation were suppressed.