Crafar not guilty of 'dirty dairying'

File photo / NZ Herald

Reporoa farmer Glen Walter Crafar has been found not guilty of discharging contaminants.

Crafar, 28, was on trial in Rotorua District Court this week accused of discharging contaminants on Reporoa land between June 2008 and September 2008. He was charged by Environment Waikato under the Resource Management Act.

The contaminant was dairy animal effluent which may or may not have contaminated ground water at 106-108 Short Rd in Reporoa.

The jury of eight women and four men took five hours to come to their decision.

After hours of deliberation, the jury told Judge Chris McGuire a unanimous decision was not possible. It was decided that the majority ruled and Crafar was found not guilty.

Applause erupted from the public gallery when the not guilty verdict was delivered. Crafar's mother cried as the verdict was read out, while other supporters cheered and applauded as the jury left the courtroom.

Crafar represented himself during the trial but had a McKenzie Friend or court assistant.

During the trial, Crafar gave a brief statement in his defence and told the jury he was innocent and had not breached any section of the Resource Management Act.

"I've been living on or by the farm all my life. I've been in farming my entire life.''

During the trial Crafar said there was no way contaminant could have ended up in the ground water.

He said the ground water was 80m deep and there was no running water within at least 8km of the paddock.

He said in accordance with Environment Waikato rules he had wanted to work the land and sew it into a crop. Crafar said the paddock was an ex-crop paddock and had been used to grow turnips.

Crafar said he had used a sucker tank to suck the water away.

Outside court the Crafar family said they were pleased with the outcome.

"We are just so happy that this is all over,'' one relative said.