September 05, 2012

Jailed dealer says he has broken gang ties

By David Clarkson

Police say a Rebels Motorcycle Club associate breached his learner?s driver licence by driving unaccompanied 61 times, and he has now been jailed for a bad high-speed crash and for dealing in methamphetamine.

Jeremy Craig Seddon, 27, got a six-month reduction in his jail sentence for writing to the sentencing judge to tell him he had now broken his gang associations.

Christchurch District Court Judge Phil Moran told him: ?No doubt there is some personal danger to you in doing that, I acknowledge that.?

Seddon had been found guilty by a jury in July on charges of offering to supply methamphetamine, and possession of the drug. Methamphetamine is a class A drug and offering to supply it carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

He was remanded in custody for sentencing where Judge Moran today imposed a series of sentences totalling three years nine months.

The judge said he also reduced his sentence because the prisoner wrote that a jail term would have a severe effect on his partner who suffers from epilepsy and will struggle without his help.

Crown prosecutor Marcus Zintl told the trial of police intercepting text messages on Seddon?s phone including 56 requests from people to buy the drug, and 44 offers from Seddon.

A police analysis showed about $13,500 worth of the drug ? 13.5g ? would have been involved in these transactions.

Defence counsel Serina Bailey said there had been some delays with the driving charges Seddon faced because his dangerous driving had led to a crash where he had been seriously injured and hospitalised for three weeks.

?Hopefully, after this term of imprisonment ? which is accepted ? he will be able to get on with his life,? she said.

Judge Moran said Seddon also appeared for sentence on 13 driving charges including five breaches of his learner?s licence, three driving while suspended, disqualified driving, and driving a vehicle that had been stickered and ordered off the road.

?This shows you have a complete contempt for the traffic law and the requirements for drivers holding learner licences.?

On March 3, Seddon drove at high speed along Ferry Road, overtaking other vehicles in the face of oncoming traffic. When he sped through the Dyers Road-Linwood Avenue intersection, the car became airborne then went out of control in a slide across the median and into an oncoming vehicle.

Both vehicles were badly damaged and Seddon was seriously injured.

The police said: ?Further inquiries revealed that between January 2003 and December 2011, the defendant had breached his graduated licence conditions 79 times, including driving unaccompanied 61 times. During this period the defendant has been suspended from driving for a total of two years three months on demerit points alone.?

Judge Moran described Seddon as a ?menace? because of his driving. He had ?flirted? with the Rebels gang, and since his crash had been a sickness beneficiary.

As part of the jail sentence, Judge Moran remitted $12,096 that Seddon owes in unpaid fines.