Tony Ware. Photo / File
A Northland man released from jail following an appeal will finally complete his prison sentence on home detention after pleading guilty during a second jury trial.
Tony James Ware, 49, appeared in the Whangarei District Court last week for sentencing, via an audio visual link with Judge Peter Rollo, on
a charge of cultivating cannabis. A charge of theft of $17,409 worth of electricity was withdrawn.
Ware was found guilty by a jury in 2013, after he had denied the 448 cannabis plants found in shipping containers and around his rural Whareora property were his. Ware claimed police were lying and that during a few hours, while he was away from the property, seven officers brought in hundreds of cannabis plants and growing equipment and deliberately set him up.
In February 2014 Judge John McDonald sentenced Ware to three years and 10 months' jail for cultivating cannabis but Ware successfully appealed and was released one year and three days into his sentence. He spent 10 months in the community before appearing in court for a retrial last month. Three days into the trial Ware decided to plead guilty to the charges of cultivating cannabis and theft of electricity after Judge Rollo indicated he would receive six months' home detention.
During his release Ware had been caring for his 90-year-old father and the judge deemed it a suitable property to serve his six months' home detention.
