POLICE DROP HEROIN SHOOTING GALLERY CHARGE AGAINST CLERIC

A charge against a Kings Cross clergyman over a heroin shooting
gallery was dropped by police today.

Last August, 61-year-old Uniting Church pastor the Reverend Ray
Richmond was summonsed to appear at Downing Centre Local Court charged
with aiding and abetting the self-administration of a prohibited drug.

He allegedly helped two men inject heroin in the Wayside Chapel on May
12.

The chapel's so-called tolerance room became Australia's first
church-run shooting gallery when it opened amid controversy on May 3,
before closing on May 13.

But since then, the New South Wales government has approved
Australia's first legal injecting room.

Mr Richmond's solicitor Peter Grogan said various representations were
made to the police about dropping the charge, including because of the
changed government policy.

'(The police) had different views internally on a complex issue, as
does the parliament, as does the general community,' Mr Grogan said
outside the court after a registrar was told police had withdrawn the
charge.

'It was not an easy decision and we respect the way they have dealt
with it.'

He said the underlying issue was that Australians were dying who,
whatever views people had about drugs, would probably not die because
of this sort of intervention.

Mr Richmond said outside the court it was a tremendous strain for
anyone to be in the court process.