Disposing of evidence earns $10,000 penalty

An outspoken former police officer, now a lawyer, has been fined $10,000 for attempting to pervert the course of justice while police were investigating him for allegedly possessing child pornography.

Former Huntly senior sergeant Mike Meyrick, 57, appeared for sentencing before Judge Michael Behrens yesterday in the Hamilton District Court. He had been found guilty in October.

In September last year he took computer parts from his daughter Amy's Auckland home during the police investigation.

Early next year he is to face 31 charges of possessing objectionable material.

The case unfolded when his daughter allegedly found child pornography on his computer in May last year and showed his now-estranged wife Marion Ashby.

Ms Ashby gave the computer hard-drive to Hamilton police in August last year and his daughter took the rest of the machine to Auckland where Meyrick took it before police could execute a search warrant.

Meyrick told the Herald he felt let down by members of his family who had not stood by him.

He believed that the Hamilton police had a vendetta against him and he said he would appeal against the decision because the parts he took from his daughter's home had no evidential value to the police investigation anyway.

"I am utterly bewildered how they came up with that charge. I'm not feeling bitter, I don't actually care. I'll do something else. I'll never be a lawyer again but that's life, isn't it. I'm not going to sit around crying."

Meyrick appeared with another former police officer who is also a lawyer, Alex Hope, on TV3's 20/20 programme alleging police racism, violence and corruption.

At yesterday's hearing, Judge Behrens said there was a hint of "arrogance" about Meyrick, who had made a "clumsy" attempt to thwart the investigation already knowing the evidence police had against him.

Crown prosecutor Philip Crayton recommended a prison term of six to 12 months.

He said police never thought the rest of the computer would be taken by a former senior sergeant and officer of the court who knew the implications of his actions.

Meyrick's lawyer, Tom Sutcliffe, said his client had handed in his practising certificate to the Law Society and there was an application to the High Court to have him struck off.

He said the offending had had a devastating effect on Meyrick, whom who he described as an icon in the community held in high esteem by many. His fall from grace was considerable and one he would find hard to come back from.

"He feels he has to reinvent himself - a very difficult task at his age."

Judge Behrens said that while Meyrick's offending was not as serious as interfering with witnesses, it was premeditated and had stopped police gathering any further evidence from the rest of the computer.

Meyrick said he would represent himself at his appeal.