Record 28.5 year prison sentence for Northland meth kingpin

Brownie Harding has been jailed for 28.5 years for his role in a meth manufacturing operation.

The ringleader of the operation that produced the largest amount of methamphetamine ever cooked in New Zealand has been given the toughest prison sentence ever handed out in Northland.

Brownie Harding, 38, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Auckland last June to six charges of manufacturing meth, two of conspiracy to supply meth, possession of meth for supply, supplying pseudoephedrine, and participating in an organised criminal group.

At least 9kg of meth with a street value of between $3.2 million and $4.5 million was cooked over 10 weeks in a property in Taipuha Rd at Waiotira, between Whangarei and Paparoa, between September and December 2014. It was the largest amount of meth cooked in New Zealand that police are aware of.

Justice Simon Moore, in the High Court at Whangarei, rejected a Crown submission that Harding be given life imprisonment, as Harding had pleaded guilty, and had no previous convictions for manufacturing meth.

However, he handed out the toughest prison sentence ever imposed in Northland of 28.5 years.

Harding will have to serve a minimum of 10 years before being eligible for parole.

His son Evanda Harding was sentenced in September last year to nine years and six months after he pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of meth for supply and two of possession of pseudoephedrine for supply in relation to drug-making in the operation.

A jury found him guilty of participating in an organised criminal group and two charges of manufacturing meth.

Brownie Harding's former partner Casey Rewha was sentenced to 12 months' home detention in December after a jury found her guilty on one charge of participating in an organised criminal group.

Two cooks- Jayden Hura and Anthony Mangu- have already been sentenced to jail terms of 16 years and eight months and 15 years respectively for their part in the drug operation.
The maximum penalty for dealing methamphetamine is life imprisonment.