MAN SAYS HE USED DRUGS FOR PAIN

A 43-year-old arthritis sufferer who told the police he used cannabis
and methamphetamine to relieve pain was sentenced to four-and-a-half
years' imprisonment yesterday.

Michael John Carman appeared in the Auckland District Court with his
neck in a brace and using a walking frame. The court heard that should
he fall he could die.

Carman, a self-employed technician, had earlier pleaded guilty to
charges of manufacturing methamphetamine, supplying methamphetamine,
possession of cannabis for supply and possession of precursor
substances and equipment for the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Judge Michael Hobbs said that taking into account all the complicating
issues in the case a starting point of eight years' imprisonment was
warranted on the two manufacturing methamphetamine charges.

The sentence was reduced to six years because of Carman's guilty
pleas. Judge Hobbs said he was satisfied the sentence could be further
reduced to four-and-a-half years due to Carman's health problems.

Carman's lawyer, Graeme Newell, submitted that his client's illness
would make imprisonment a greater hardship than would normally be the
case. Carman, a sufferer of rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years, had
deformed hands and had limited ability to manipulate objects.

He could use a spoon to eat but he could not hold books or
write.

After a fall caused by tripping over a mat, Carman had a titanium
plate, two rods and 24 screws placed at the top of his spinal column
to provide support for his head. While recovering Carman was attacked
in his home resulting in the plate becoming dislodged and protruding
from the rear of his head. Infection set in and the plate was removed
about two months ago.

The offending involved three dates - in May and September last year
and May this year - said Anna Adams, for the Crown.

The police found Carman in a Henderson Valley house in May last year
after they executed a search warrant on the address where he lived
following a tip-off that it was being used to manufacture
methamphetamine.

During the search, a car was allegedly driven at members of the police
armed offenders squad by a member of the Head Hunters gang. More than
$26,000 in cash was found at the house as well as drugs valued at more
than $11,000.

Carman told the police he was a heavy user of cannabis and that he
used cannabis and methamphetamine to relieve the pain of his arthritis.

In September last year police executed another search warrant at
Carman's Henderson Valley house after receiving information that
methamphetamine was being manufactured at the address. They found a
clandestine drug laboratory packed away in the house and precursor
chemicals and equipment used in methamphetamine manufacturing.

In May this year the police executed a search warrant at a Kelston
address where a clandestine drug laboratory was set up.

Carman confirmed that he had been manufacturing methamphetamine at the
address and that any drugs found there belonged to him.

Judge Hobbs said that repeated offending involving methamphetamine was
likely to be met with increasingly severe penalties as public concern
about the drug grew.

He sentenced Carman to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment on the two
manufacturing charges and two years' imprisonment on the remaining
four charges, all the terms to be concurrent.