Murray Akuhata Parekura, 43, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday on three class-A drug charges, as well as charges of possessing a firearm and injuring with intent to injure.
Parekura told a report writer he started using methamphetamine socially, which became every weekend, which turned into a daily addiction.
"Those comments are not surprising because sadly we hear them all the time," Judge Jim Large said. "Once they’re using they become on a very, very slippery slope, one with a crash at the end."
In a court summary, police said there had been a marked increase in the distribution of narcotics in Cromwell and its surrounds, which was backed up by elevated levels of MDMA and meth in the area’s wastewater.
In December, 2022, their focus turned to Parekura.
The court heard the defendant would communicate with prospective buyers and direct them to internet platforms such as Snapchat to organise deals.
He would obtain meth from a supplier then let his clients know he had restocked, often delivering the substance to locations between Wanaka and Alexandra.
In November and December 2022, the defendant communicated with his clientele, using crude code language, which officers easily deciphered.
One associate told Parekura he was "hungry".
"U ate a half already lol [sic]," the defendant replied, referring to a quantity of methamphetamine he had already supplied.
On other occasions, he would advertise his wares online.
"Up2 gt sugar 4 ya coffee if u any1 looking [sic]," he messaged.
On January 17 last year, police executed a search warrant at Parekura’s home, where they found a loaded .308 rifle, 8.1g of meth and $2225 cash.
In total, the defendant supplied, offered or possessed — on a conservative estimation — 38.1g of the drug, Judge Large said.
It was not disputed that Parekura was a wholesaler, selling to others who would on-sell to their own customers.
"The effect is widespread in the community and people who wholesale meth are one of the major problems, because if it wasn’t for wholesalers, one would hope there would not be retailers," the judge said.
Parekura’s situation became more precarious when in September last year he participated in a group attack while on remand at Invercargill Prison.
The defendant initially tried to shield the incident from CCTV before joining in and beating the victim for seven seconds in the jail’s toilet area.
The men celebrated with "fist-bumps", the court heard.
Parekura was jailed for two years 11 months.
