Guilty pleas over P-lab explosion

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A Papamoa man was caught cooking up P after his P lab exploded in the basement of a Mount Maunganui home last year and left another man at the house with serious burns.

Rhys James Maybury, 40, pleaded guilty to one charge each of manufacturing methamphetamine and attempting to manufacture the drug, plus three charges of possession of precursor substances, materials and equipment when he appeared in the Tauranga District Court on Thursday.

A further charge of arson is yet to be resolved.

The Crown summary of facts said that between January 1 and April 23 last year Maybury manufactured methamphetamine on several occasions.

About 3.30am on April 23, 2013 Maybury was involved in further cooking processes at a rented Oceanbeach Rd property when an explosion occurred and a small fire started in the basement.

The fire blew out the garage door and window and caused smoke damage to the basement.

Another man at the property suffered burns to 20 per cent of his upper body.

When fire personnel arrived the injured man was lying in a bathtub full of water.

Maybury was also inside the property but went outside and began throwing containers of chemicals and glassware used to manufacture P over the fence into a neighbour's property .

He had then fled the address.

When police searched the property they found a mini kitchen chopper that had been used to chop tablets and capsules containing the precursor pseudoephedrine.

Also found were a reaction vessel known as a "parr bomb", kitchen equipment, glassware, chemicals, and acids used in the manufacturing process.

Maybury had twice originally denied being at the address when the explosion occurred.

He had told police he left his car there, spent the night at his partner's home and had remained there all night.

The injured man is also facing charges including ones alleging P-manufacturing offences, cannabis cultivation and an arson allegation. His matters are still before the court.

Maybury was jailed for two years and four months in 2011 for P-manufacturing offences.

Those arose from a search on December 21, 2009, of a Plummers Rd house he was renting.

He will be sentenced on July 1.