A German national has avoided prison after he was caught with an estimated $27,000 worth of cannabis in his Queenstown cabin.
Pacco Jeramo Raoul Maria Amir Yassi Tim Goergen (26) was living alone in a cabin on a Suburb St property when police carried out a search of the property’s main dwelling on an unrelated matter on February 17.
Officers then knocked on his door, and when Goergen opened it, they could see cannabis grinders in the room.
That prompted a search of the cabin that unearthed a total of 1.7kg of cannabis, a set of scales, grinders, four cellphones and ziplock bags.
Goergen, who came to New Zealand in 2016 and was living in the resort on a work visa, was sentenced by Judge Russell Walker in the Queenstown District Court yesterday after admitting possession of cannabis for supply.
Judge Walker said Goergen’s explanation for his offending was he had injured a leg and been unable to work, putting him under financial pressure.
After accounting for mitigating factors - the defendant’s guilty plea, references, remorse and the completion of 220 hours of voluntary work - he came to a sentence of 13 months’ prison.
He converted that to six months’ home detention, to be served at a Frankton Rd address.
During his sentence and for six months after its completion, Goergen must not possess or consume alcohol or illicit drugs, and must undergo intervention for drug and alcohol issues.
