Police drop drug charges

Police have dropped drug charges against a man who could not stand trial for cultivating cannabis after the police officer who was meant to give evidence was rostered on a night shift.

John Perry will remain in custody awaiting a hearing for a more serious matter, but charges of cultivating cannabis, possession and possession of utensils have been dropped.

The reasons for police withdrawing the charges were not discussed when the matter was called in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, but on Monday prosecutor Sergeant Paul Knox said the officer who was meant to act as a witness at the trial was unavailable as he was rostered on a night shift and could not change as police were ''short-staffed''.

Judge Macdonald adjourned the matter for one day on Monday and indicated he was likely to dismiss the charges if the officer remained unavailable.

Perry was also to stand trial for one count of wilful damage related to damaging a fire sprinkler in a holding cell. Defence counsel Anne Stevens entered a guilty plea in relation to that charge when the matter was called yesterday.

Judge John Macdonald convicted Perry on the matter, as well as for two other counts of wilful damage, two counts of threatening to kill, one of dangerous driving and one of unlawfully receiving property.

Perry was remanded in custody and the charges he pleaded guilty to would be dealt with when he appeared in court later this month on a more serious matter, Judge Macdonald said.

The inability to secure the police officer witness led to Judge Macdonald commenting on Monday that ''the police is falling apart''.

Otago Coastal area prevention manager Inspector Kelvin Lloyd denied police in Dunedin were short-staffed in response to Otago Daily Times questions, instead blaming the inability of the officer to appear in court on the provisions of the collective employment agreement, which required officers be given 14 days' notice of changes in duties.

''In this case, it appears the police officer was only notified last Friday he was due in court in relation to this matter,'' he said.

''While such occurrences are uncommon, police are currently making inquiries into how this has occurred.''

 

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