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A Hamilton man has been jailed for more than nine years for operating one of the country's biggest P-labs.
Charles Huddell Chavannes, 50, was given a prison term of nine years and four months when he appeared for sentence yesterday in the High Court at Hamilton.
The drugs bust at a rented Hamilton house a year ago made national headlines at the time because of its scale, although its size was later disputed.
Only a small amount of methamphetamine was found. But investigation by Environmental Science and Research (ESR) found that a "substantial methamphetamine laboratory" had been in operation. Fifty-six litres of liquid waste from the production of methamphetamine was found.
Chavannes had earlier pleaded guilty to two representative charges of manufacturing and possessing methamphetamine, or P, for supply between June 1, 2003, and August 2, 2007.
During a disputed facts hearing last month Justice Mark Cooper ruled that Chavannes manufactured 2.5kg of methamphetamine over the period.
It was accepted that 80 per cent of the methamphetamine produced (around 2kg) was for supply and not personal use.
As such, Chavannes could have been looking at life in prison, Justice Cooper said.
However, there were no overt signs Chavannes gained commercially from his offending so a starting point of 14 years' jail was adopted. That was further reduced because of the early guilty pleas.
While Chavannes pleaded guilty and co-operated with the police, he had continued to downplay the extent of his operation, Justice Cooper said.
Speaking outside court, defence lawyer Wayne Dollimore told the Waikato Times Chavannes would appeal the sentence, but would not say on what grounds. Crown prosecutor Mark Sturm said the sentence should be a heavy one and asked for a starting point of between 13 and 15 years' jail.
"The reality is that the clandestine lab found was a massive one," he said.
- NZPA
