As hard as it was being separated from his family, New Zealand gun dealer David Tipple feels enriched by his jail time in the United States.
"The county jails were hell, but the two prisons I spent five or six months in were not hell-holes. They were quite liveable," Mr Tipple
said yesterday.
"I had a lot of fun in them. I met some really special people who gave me some excellent advice and helped me make it a time of real worth.
"I was greatly enriched by the companionship and wisdom shared with the guys."
Mr Tipple, 49, returned to Christchurch on Saturday after almost two years trapped in the US justice system.
He served 12 months in a New Mexico jail for breaching US customs regulations by not notifying an airline in writing that he had firearms in his luggage.
In February, a week before he was due to be released, he was extradited from the low-security prison to Georgia, to face fresh charges relating to the sale of 400 firearms.
Finally, Mr Tipple was told last week his ordeal was over and he could return home.
"The most exciting thing was feeling the plane taking off from Los Angeles. Right up until we took off there was a possibility we wouldn't leave.
"It was an awesome feeling of relief of finally getting out of there after so many broken promises and disappointments."
Mr Tipple was met by dozens of family members and supporters at the airport in Christchurch.
"There were several people I had never met before and they came up and said welcome home. One woman came ... and hugged me and said, 'It's good to have you back'."
Since he had arrived home, he had spent a lot of time "catching up with hugs" from his wife Betsy and six children. He also met his 14-month-old grandson, Jordan, for the first time.
Mr Tipple wants to return to running his family business, Gun City, and said he would be "a whole lot more conscious of any rule you might be inclined to break".
"As far as trading with the US, we will do it through an export agent rather than arrange it ourselves. I want to keep my feet firmly planted in the best country in the world."
- NZPA
