Matthew Littlewood17:02, Jul 29 2021
John Bisset/Stuff
Robert James Ropiha, 39, was sentenced to three years and eight months imprisonment for the importing of methamphetamine when he appeared in the District Court in Timaru. (File photo)
An Oamaru man who helped import a package of methamphetamine with a possible street value of $350,000 has been jailed for three years and eight months. Robert James Ropiha, 39, appeared for sentencing before Judge Joanna Maze at the District Court in Timaru on Thursday having pleaded guilty to importing methamphetamine on June 14. Ropiha s defence counsel David More told Judge Maze his persistent offending, which began at a young age, was “almost entirely” down to a result of the upbringing he went through.
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Malachi Joshua Drake caused more than $15,000 worth of damage to two navigation towers at Timaru’s port while New Zealand was in lockdown in April 2020. (File photo)
A 30-year-old man jeopardised ships coming into Timaru s port when he ripped the control systems out of two navigation towers and smashed solar panels. Malachi Joshua Drake caused more than $15,000 worth of damage to the towers along the port s eastern mole extension during New Zealand’s Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown in April 2020. Drake, who had been in custody for the past five-and-a-half months, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment and released on time served when he appeared before Judge Joanna Maze in the Timaru District Court on Wednesday.
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Joshua John Chellew, 32, has pleaded guilty to endangering transport, assault with a weapon, intentional damage, and aggravated counts of injuring and failing to stop for police.
The Oamaru driver responsible for the 2018 hit-and-run death of a 14-year-old girl has admitted endangering traffic after inciting a police pursuit. Joshua John Chellew reached speeds of 130 kilometres per hour and hurled firewood, bricks, glass bottles, and even a methamphetamine pipe at a patrol car as he tried to shake police on the rural back-roads of Oamaru, about 4.15pm on May 3, 2020. Chellew pleaded guilty to endangering transport, assault with a weapon, intentional damage, and aggravated counts of injuring and failing to stop for police when he appeared before Judge Joanna Maze in the Timaru District Court on Tuesday.