Elijah Dennis Waterman, pictured in 2019, has been jailed for 4 years and 7 months for his part in Operation Breaker, a Waikato police investigation targeting methamphetamine and other drugs. Photo / NZ Police
Elijah Dennis Waterman, pictured in 2019, has been jailed for 4 years and 7 months for his part in Operation Breaker, a Waikato police investigation targeting methamphetamine and other drugs. Photo / NZ Police
A man formerly dubbed a “Houdini” for his ability to escape police custody has now been jailed for his part in helping manufacture meth for the Mongrel Mob.
Elijah Dennis Waterman had direct contact with senior Mongrel Mob member Huia Edwards, who was jailed for seven years in January, on multiple drug charges including manufacturing, supplying, and conspiring to import meth as part of the Waikato police Breaker One gang-led commercial drug operation.
Waterman, who earlier admitted charges of manufacturing and offering to supply meth, appeared before Judge Noel Cocurullo in the Hamilton District Court to hear his fate recently.
Waterman hit the headlines in 2003 after continually avoiding arrest or escaping police custody in the Manukau District Court after smashing his way through a secure door in a court room and walking out the front door.
He was caught but escaped again and was found hiding in a wall - only after police noticed a screw out of place.
Waterman’s counsel Steven Lack noted in his submissions to Judge Cocurullo last week that after his arrest for his latest offending, he had tried five times to get electronically monitored bail but was turned down each time.
‘Assistant meth maker’
His intercepted communications with Edwards, the group’s leader, between August and October of 2021, resulted in him getting caught.
Due to the border that existed between Auckland and Waikato at the time because of Covid-19 restrictions, they discussed an alternative way for Hamilton-based Wilson to collect the meth from Auckland-based Waterman and avoid the police-controlled border.
Edwards also told Wilson how he had done a video call with Waterman where he showed him the “explosion part” of the meth process.
Between September 1 and 6, Waterman was present during the meth manufacture - which resulted in 10 ounces (280 grams) - along with an associate at a property in Clendon Park.
He also helped pack up afterward.
On September 5, texts showed Edwards and Waterman arranging transportation of the meth to Edwards using a truck driver.
The intercepted communications also revealed Edwards had been expecting 14 ounces from that particular meth “cook”, rather than just the 10 ounces.
Further texts on Waterman’s cellphone found he’d supplied meth 27 times between August 16 and October 12.
Of those messages, he also offered to supply 42.25 grams of meth.
Edwards also said to him that he had “everything” to cook the “big block’ but there was no evidence that was done.
‘He was acting at the direction of Huia Edwards’
Crown solicitor Scarlett Hartstone pushed for a starting point of seven years in prison given Waterman was closely associated with Edwards and arranging the manufacture and transport of the meth.
All up, he was involved with 322.25 grams including both manufacturing and offering to supply meth.
However, his counsel Steven Lack said his client had no role “whatsoever” in the broader distribution network. It was limited to one manufacture and then further offers to supply street-level quantities that had nothing to do with the operation.
“His role was to be present at the meth cook, to be present at the manufacture, he was acting at the direction of Mr Edwards... and at the direction of Mr Edwards, he tried to facilitate the transport of the product back to the Waikato.”
Clayton Veitch Wilson, pictured in 2011, was jailed for four years for his role in the Mongrel Mob's drug dealing operation. Photo / NZ Police
But Lack said a seven-year start point for his client was “miles too high”.
The offending was driven by his client’s addiction and there was “ample evidence before the court” including his section 27 report, to prove that.
“But for his addiction, he wouldn’t have found himself associating with these people.”
Lack also asked for credit given the amount of time he’d already served in custody as the five applications for electronically-monitored bail while in custody were all declined, adding there was no evidence of financial gain.
However, Judge Cocurullo found Lack was only correct “to some extent” as to his client playing a minor role, as he was in contact with Edwards and 10 ounces of meth was a “significant amount”.
“When I look at the role you played, I determine it was significant and not lesser,” he said, adding Waterman was aware “to some extent” of the wider operation.
He took a start point of five-and-a-half years, before adding another 12 months for the offering to supply charge.
After applying various discounts he got down to an end jail term of four years and seven months.
Meanwhile, Brodie-Joel Te Tomo, 30, was sentenced to eight months’ home detention on a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice for his role in being the “muscle” for using intimidating tactics to get the owner of a stolen Harley Davidson to say that it was not stolen.
