POLICE WANT CAR FORFEITED

Claim Subaru Used To Pick Up, Deliver Drugs

The police applied yesterday for a former Dunedin businessman's vehicle
worth about $30,000-$40,000 to be forfeited to the Crown.

Ian Gordon Fletcher (43) was convicted of importing and supplying cocaine
on November 3 last year and sentenced to 8 1/2 years' jail. He is now an
inmate of Paparua Prison, in Christchurch.

Crown prosecutor Bill Wright said, in the High Court at Dunedin, that
Fletcher had used the Subaru "extensively" to pick up and deliver the
cocaine so it should be forfeited under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Scientists from Environmental Science and Research had examined the vehicle
and found traces of cocaine inside it. The police also saw Fletcher discard
things from the vehicle near Christchurch then discovered they were
snap-lock bags containing traces of cocaine.

Cash totalling about $3500 was discovered in the vehicle, an amount
equalling the price of half an ounce of cocaine.

Counsel Michael Guest said Fletcher now admitted he had lied about picking
up cocaine to take the "heat off" the supplier. He had only had cocaine for
his personal use in the vehicle.

Fletcher had already received a jail sentence and to "kick him behind" by
forfeiting his $40,000 vehicle was "at least worthy of argument . . .
unjust in this case".

Mr Wright said all the cocaine was expected to reap about $100,000 "so I
don't think you can say it's unjust because it's a relatively expensive
motor vehicle".

Justice Chisholm said "at the moment, without pre-judging it, it's a pretty
strong body of evidence . . . and he [Fletcher] may want to consider that".

If it was proved the vehicle had been used to pick up and transport cocaine
"I doubt that I could reach the conclusion that was of a minor nature . . .
which may well go against any attempt to persuade me it would be unjust to
take it [the vehicle] away.

"It would open the door so wide as to effectively defeat what I think is
the object of the legislation," Justice Chisholm said.

The Crown needed to obtain a vehicle valuation, make relevant evidence
transcripts available and seek more detailed information about cocaine
traces in the vehicle and the bags

Once the information was obtained, Mr Guest could seek further instructions
from Fletcher. If Fletcher decided he wanted to give evidence, he would
have to appear in court in Dunedin.