Dealer who kept drugs in coffin sentenced for shooting

A cannabis plant. File photo / Northern Advocate

A Tauranga drug dealer who shot another man in the leg with a cut-down .22 rifle and was also caught with 18 cannabis 'tinnies' inside a coffin in his lounge, has been sentenced to 10 months' home detention.

The shooting incident occurred about 11pm on August 22 after 23-year-old musician Rikki-Lee Kenneth Grimstrup-Corbett and an associate returned to Grimstrup-Corbett's home on Courtney Rd, where they found the other man in the driveway.

The man began to fight with Grimstrup-Corbett and his associate.

While the other two men continued fighting, Grimstrup-Corbett went inside and got a cut-down .22 calibre rifle from his bedroom, placed one round of ammunition into the rifle and walked to the front door.

He told the other man he would shoot him if he tried to come inside and when the man walked towards him, he fired off one round, which struck the man in the thigh.

The man managed to take the rifle off Grimstrup-Corbett and walked off with it, before seeking help at a nearby house. He required surgery to remove the round of ammunition lodged in his leg.

When police searched Grimstrup-Corbett's address they found the tinnies inside an envelope sitting inside a coffin in the lounge. They also found $2265 cash, and an analysis of text messages from Grimstrup-Corbett's two cellphones confirmed he had been dealing drugs.

Grimstrup-Corbett, who earlier pleaded guilty to injuring with intent to injure, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of cannabis for supply, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court yesterday.

Grimstrup-Corbett's lawyer David Bates argued for a home detention sentence, given Grimstrup-Corbett's lack of prior convictions, his age and the role the victim played in the incident.

Mr Bates said the victim had contributed to the incident but stressed the shooting had nothing to do with drug dealing.

Judge Peter Rollo said Grimstrup-Corbett's claim he had the gun for protection was undoubtedly true because of his involvement in drug dealing.

Grimstrup-Corbett, who was successful at school, had held down positions of responsibility, and had the benefits of good life and strong support from family and friends yet he chose to offend in this way, the judge said.

The judge said he was satisfied the least-restrictive outcome required to be imposed by law was a sentence of home detention and 300 hours' community work.

The judge ordered the forfeiture of the gun and the cash.