Brothers sent behind bars

The former head of publicity for this year's Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Auckland was sentenced yesterday to two years' imprisonment on drugs charges.

But David Peter Verschaffelt, 27, of St Marys Bay, appearing in the High Court at Auckland, was granted leave to apply for home detention.

The Auckland City Council employed Verschaffelt for 10 months to promote the Volvo stopover, during which time he was paid $86,145.

His brother, 24-year-old office worker Paul Gregory Verschaffelt of Manurewa, was sentenced to four years' jail.

The pair had admitted conspiring to import up to $1 million worth of speed into New Zealand from Japan.

Paul had also admitted supplying heroin and Ecstasy.

David had further admitted to possession of Ecstasy for supply.

Sentencing had been delayed to see whether the Prison Service could provide for Paul, who suffers from angiodema, a rare allergy to the cold.

Justice Paul Heath said there were suitable facilities which meant that there would be no fear for his life.

Despite his aversion to the cold, Paul Verschaffelt worked for a time as a dancer at the Showboys strip club in Customs St East, although he did not have to take all his clothes off.

The judge said it was necessary to outline the facts because of some "slanted" media reports.

He said that Paul Verschaffelt told an undercover police officer of his plan to travel to Japan to buy "ice" methamphetamine (speed), offering the drug to the officer for $300 a gram.

Speed has a street value of $600 to $1000 a gram.

During the meeting Verschaffelt sold the officer 8g of high-purity heroin for $3200.

At a later meeting last August, the officer was introduced to David Verschaffelt, who would deliver the drugs his brother was to send from Japan.

The intention was to import 1kg of speed over five weeks in 200g lots.

Paul Verschaffelt intended to travel to Japan in early September, but there was a delay due to a hold up financing the travel.

David told the officer that organising the finances was his (David's) responsibility.

The judge said that at later meetings Paul supplied the officer with 412 Ecstasy tablets. After the last delivery of drugs, police officers pounced.

David's home was searched and 81 Ecstasy tablets were found.

The Crown, represented by David McNaughton and Tiana Epati, referred to aggravating features, including the quantity of speed to be imported.

Graeme Newell, representing David Verschaffelt, said his client became involved only because of a misguided attempt to help his brother.

He did not go ahead with the importation which did not even reach the stage of an attempt.

In earlier submissions Mr Newell said that David could not get the funds, got cold feet and tried to dissuade his brother from continuing.

He added that the date for Paul's departure for Japan had come and gone without anything happening.

Gary Gotlieb said Paul's was a tragically sad case of someone with ill-health "on a knife edge" since the age of 12 and who became addicted to drugs.

He asked for a discount for his client's early guilty pleas, his previous unblemished record, ill-health and efforts to rehabilitate himself.

Passing sentence, Justice Heath said he was prepared to accept Paul was remorseful, but he was sceptical about his attempts at rehabilitation.

He was concerned at Paul's ready access to the source of these drugs.

Of David Verschaffelt, the judge said his case was a tragedy - a person who had achieved much, motivated by a misguided attempt to help his brother.

While ultimately he had put a stop to the conspiracy before it reached the stage of importation, David was nevertheless willing to supply drugs if called on to do so.

Outside the court, the men's father, Peter Verschaffelt, who oversees Auckland City Council communications, declined to comment.