Charges of manufacturing methamphetamine against a former Rotoiti couple have been withdrawn - after one mistrial and one trial where no verdict could be reached.
After a mistrial in December 2011, Katrina Anne Smith, aka Hume, and Colin Richard Davis, both in their 40s, were found guilty in March of possession of precursor substances, possession of materials used to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of equipment for manufacturing. Davis was also found guilty of cultivating cannabis.
They were sentenced to home detention and community work.
However, after six hours of deliberating, the jury in that trial were unable to reach a verdict on the charge of manufacturing and a retrial was ordered.
In the Rotorua District Court yesterday Rotorua Crown prosecutor Laura Owen told Judge Phillip Cooper the Crown did not intend to proceed and the manufacturing charges were withdrawn.
