May 12, 2010

Hearing set for cannabis swoop bail conditions

Five people charged in Christchurch over the police?s Operation Lime nationwide cannabis growing raids are to seek relaxation of their strict bail conditions.

They will get a hearing on May 20 to try to convince a judge to relax some conditions that were imposed at their first appearances in the Christchurch District Court soon after the April 27 raids.

Among the conditions imposed was a requirement that they keep a register of customers who buy specified gear at the gardening supply shops where they work.

The police raided homes and business premises all over the country on the same day, after a long-term surveillance operation, to stop cannabis cultivation ventures and the sale of growing equipment.

One of the five the police have prosecuted under Operation Lime was granted a registrar?s remand yesterday at the request of defence counsel Jonathan Eaton.

Mr Eaton told Judge Michael Crosbie today he was surprised to learn that the remand had been refused for the other four because he had told them they would not need to appear in court.

Judge Crosbie said the attendance of the four was ?excused, due to the optimism of counsel? and granted the remand for the hearing next week.

Mr Eaton said the bail conditions for other defendants had been changed at hearings in some places in the North Island, but the Christchurch police would not consent to the alterations.

Company director Joanna Mary McNeill, 36, was remanded without plea on charges of supplying seven High Times magazines about cannabis cultivation and two DVDs, supplying three bottles of nutrients, lighting, and hydroponic equipment, cultivating cannabis, selling cannabis, and possession of cannabis for supply. She faces 16 charges.

Sales assistant Michael Dennis Ross, 31, was remanded on 10 charges: supplying the magazines and DVDs, selling cannabis, cultivating cannabis, possession of cannabis for supply, and supplying various pieces of growing equipment and nutrients.

The others were appearing on fewer charges relating to the raids.