A drug offender who concealed cannabis on his young children when police searched the family home has been jailed for two years and five months.
Morris Johnson Allen, 33, a father of four, hid a dozen "tinnies" in his 11-year-old daughter's underwear, Tauranga District Court was told today.
A further 40g of cannabis leaf was found secreted on his son, aged 10.
Crown lawyer Catherine Harold argued that the attempted concealment of the drugs was one of several aggravating factors which should qualify Allen to go before the High Court for a stronger sentence than the district court could mete out.
The commercial element of his offending and the fact that he had a surveillance camera were others.
But Judge Louis Bidois disagreed and he also took issue with the prosecution summary describing the home as a tinny house. There was no proof, or charges laid, indicating an ongoing commercial drug supply operation, he said.
"We are only talking $360 worth of cannabis."
Allen pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for supply and the 12 bullets could have been sold for $30 each, the judge said.
He described the stash as "modest" and the cannabis leaf as "rubbish".
Defence counsel Bridie Henderson claimed the surveillance camera was to deter burglars "and wasn't working anyway".
Ms Henderson said Allen claimed to have got the cannabis "for a bargain - 12 tinnies for the price of six".
He said he was going to store them away and supply them to friends.
The defendant accepted it was wrong to involve his children, which led to Child Youth and Family involvement.
Ms Henderson agreed with the judge that it did not count in Allen's favour that the drug offences were committed while he was on bail for other crimes.
Judge Bidois handed down 12 months' imprisonment for possessing cannabis for supply and a month each for possession of the drug and of a pipe for smoking it.
Two charges of driving while disqualified got jail terms of 10 months and six months respectively and one count of stealing a $1100 radar detector resulted in a further month behind bars.
Allen has also been disqualified from driving indefinitely.
- NZPA
