Verdict takes just 60 seconds

Greymouth lawyer Richard Bodle is claiming a record for his successful jury trial defence of a man accused of cannabis cultivation yesterday.

The jury retired to consider their verdicts at 3.28pm and were back in court with a not guilty verdict by 3.29.

The one-minute time lapse would not have even given the panel time to sit at the deliberation table and is a record for Greymouth District Court.

The accused, Nicholas Clive McAllister, 27, of Blenheim, was alleged to have cultivated 23 mature cannabis plants found in the vicinity of his bach at Waiuta near Reefton on March 26, 2003.

McAllister was resident at Blenheim and had returned to Waiuta to check up on his bach which was occupied by friends.

He said he had no knowledge of the cannabis but could not explain during the trial why he ran and hid from police.

Eventually the West Coast Armed offenders squad flushed him out of the bush after a three-hour search.

Crown prosecutor Stuart Poore agreed most of the evidence was circumstantial but told the jurors innocent men did not run from police.

The jury took 60 seconds to disagree.

- NZPA