Michael Blowers denies he stole drugs or supplied them. Photo / NA
Michael Blowers denies he stole drugs or supplied them. Photo / NA
The trial of former police Detective Sergeant Michael Blowers charged with stealing, selling and dealing drugs was on hold for a day due to legal arguments.
The jury of seven women and five men were chosen on Tuesday and evidence from the first witness began. However, the jury were senthome yesterday afternoon and told the trial would resume at 10am today.
Blowers has pleaded not guilty to one charge each of supplying methamphetamine and cannabis between June 1, 2011 and June 31, 2012, and a charge of stealing methamphetamine from a police exhibit room in October 2011.
Blowers, an officer with 20 years' experience, with expertise in battling the drug trade, resigned two weeks before his arrest.
During an opening address on the first day of the trial lawyer Philip Hamlin said Blowers had been the head of the Northland police Organised Crime Unit when he stole drugs from a secure drug lock-up at Whangarei police station and then used a woman to sell them for thousands of dollars.
The first of 40 Crown witnesses to be called during the two-week trial was Constable Scott Tyrell who was in charge of exhibits during a police raid on Whangarei's Burgundy Rose motel where 58 grams of methamphetamine was seized from motel guests. Because it was such a large amount Mr Tyrell said he contacted Blowers, who was in charge of the unit that dealt with organised crime and drugs.
Blowers handled the exhibit and confirmed the white powder was methamphetamine. Mr Tyrell said he believed the exhibit had been filed correctly and was secure at the police station and the original bag had been sent for finger printing. However, when it came time to prepare for trial he discovered an envelope with two small plastic bags and one appeared to have white crystal power in it.
Mr Tyrell said he was concerned as no drug exhibits should be on a working file, rather they should be in the drug store. He summoned a senior officer and told him to "have a look, this isn't right". He will continue to give evidence today.
The Crown alleges police records showed two days after the drug seizure at the motel, Blowers had removed the methamphetamine from the drugs store and a day later put it back but had replaced the drug with table salt. Blowers denies he stole drugs or supplied them.
