EX-POLICE OFFICER FINED FOR CANNABIS OFFENCES

A former Otago police officer has blamed a work-related stress disorder and
depression for using cannabis to relieve his suffering.

In Oamaru District Court yesterday, Adrian (known as Frank) John Van Der
Eik, 45, sickness beneficiary, of St Andrews, North Otago, admitted
possession of cannabis and possession of a cannabis pipe on July 13.

The court was told that Van Der Eik was stopped for a driving matter.

Police detected a strong smell of cannabis and a plastic bag containing
enough to make five cigarettes was found in the car.

A letter from Van Der Eik's psychologist to the court said he suffered from
chronic post traumatic stress disorder depression.

It stated he had experienced considerable difficulty coping with his
condition and obtaining rehabilitative treatment from ACC.

In an affidavit presented to the court Van Der Eik said he sustained many
injuries and traumas while employed by the police from 1978 to 1991.

During those years, police were seriously under-resourced, under-funded and
poorly and ill-equipped.

"I endured through many funding cuts and restructuring, sold as being
modernisation of the force but always resulting in front line reductions and
increased stress.

"There was no availability or provision of trauma counselling unlike police
bars which were obviously deemed more important."

In May, 1990, he said he was "minutes" too late to save Senior Constable
Peter Umbers' life, after he was bashed with his own baton near Ranfurly.

"The Ranfurly station had been earlier cut from two-man to a one-man sole
station. Peter lost his life as a result of this cost-cutting measure."

In November 1990, David Gray shot dead 13 people at Aramoana, including
Sergeant Stewart Guthrie.

"There are far too many words and too few pages for me to adequately
describe the impacts of this event upon my life," Van Der Eik said.

He said his entire life changed, he was unable to regain any normal
equilibrium and his marriage fell apart.

In court yesterday, Van Der Eik said he was not above the law but his
cannabis use was "completely different" to someone who smoked it for
recreational purposes.

He used it as a relaxant to relieve the stress of his condition and
regretted it had got to that point.

Judge John Macdonald said Van Der Eik was in the same position as other
people who used cannabis for medical purposes - it was still against the
law.

However, he was able to make some allowances because it was Van Der Eik's
first conviction, other than a driving offence.

Van Der Eik was fined a total of $300 with $130 costs.