Woman jailed for unusual heroin charge
A woman has been jailed for manufacturing and dealing in a “drug of the past”, while her husband was sentenced to home detention for letting his premises be used to make the heroin.
In the Christchurch District Court, 53-year-old Joanne Kim Halliday was told by Judge Tom Gilbert that even if the sentence he imposed of 27 months had been in the range of a home detention sentence it would not have been granted.
Defence counsel Tony Garrett said Halliday had struggled with long term drug dependency, and her manufacturing and supplying text data showed she had a small number of regular persistent purchasers who put her under pressure.
Judge Gilbert said on April 12, 2016, police spoke to a man after he had left the address in Wilsons Road, Waltham.
He had a syringe with a capped needle attached, and said it was morphine that he had bought from Halliday for $100.
ESR analysed the liquid which was mainly water and contained heroin and morphine.
A search warrant was executed and police found 18 spoons containing filters on the oven, and 152 empty morphine sulphate capsules, hundreds of new needles and syringes in the spare room.
In the bedroom was a wallet with $1100 in cash mainly $50 notes.
He ordered the $1100 be forfeited to the Crown, and said heroin was a drug of the past, with nothing to recommend it, and she was introducing the drug into the market for a commercial purpose.
He then sentenced her husband, 63-year-old Neil Christopher Parkin on a charge of allowing his premises to be used for drug manufacture. He said Parkin had failed to prevent what was going on, but benefitted from the money from drug sales.
Defence counsel Glenn Dixon said Parkin’s health was declining. He had a lung disorder from a lifetime of smoking opiates, but was not using drugs now.
He said Parkin would struggle with his wife being in prison, and he would not be able to visit her.
Judge Gilbert said Parkin’s pre-sentence report said he knew Halliday’s drug activities were unwise, and he didn’t want to have anything to do with the drugs. He said Parkin didn’t do what he could have, or should have, to stop it.
Parkin was a disinterested bystander, and did not actively encourage his wife, he said.
Parkin was sentenced to eight months’ home detention, and 120 hours’ community work.
Category: Focus
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