'Incorrigible' criminal jailed for 17 years

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A man involved in a sophisticated methamphetamine importing operation run out of Upper Hutt's Rimutaka Prison - where he was serving time for previous drug dealing - has been further jailed for 17 years.

Timothy John Wilkie, 34, was given a minimum non-parole period of nine years when he appeared for sentence before Justice Warwick Gendall in the High Court of Wellington today.

He was found guilty after a second trial on five charges of importing the Class A controlled drug methamphetamine into New Zealand. The jury in the first trial, which lasted seven weeks, failed to reach verdicts.

"The community needs protection from you," said the judge, telling Wilkie: "This derisory conduct cannot be tolerated. It makes a mockery of the process of justice."

He said Wilkie was an "incorrigible" criminal, with 95 previous convictions including multiple violent offences and a number of drug-related crimes.

"You have lived a lawless life."

Although it would "probably be falling on deaf ears," Justice Gendall stressed it needed to be said that methamphetamine was a pernicious and dangerous drug which destroyed the lives of individuals, families and communities.

He said Wilkie was serving a five year sentence for possession of almost $100,000 of methamphetamine for supply when he became involved in an extensive international importing operation in 2007.

A fellow Rimutaka inmate - a Thai national jailed for sexual offending - was central to the drug ring. Using his contacts in Thailand he, Wilkie and several other prisoners would arrange large quantities of methamphetamine imports virtually on demand, Justice Gendall said.

"That demand came from at least three separate groups besides yours."

The drugs were sent to addresses in the Hutt Valley. Helpers outside the prison arranged payment and deliveries.

Between March and June 2007, 616g of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of about $600,000 came into New Zealand from Thailand, said the judge.

The business, run with the prisoners' unauthorised use of cell phones, continued for a month after the Thai national was deported in May.

Then Thai authorities arrested one of the drug ring's suppliers and found documents relating to packages sent to New Zealand.

A fifth package of methamphetamine was subsequently intercepted by authorities at the Auckland Mail Centre.

The delay in delivery caused alarm and prompted drug ring participants to take steps to cover their tracks, including disposal of cell phones.

Justice Gendall attributed the arrests which followed to "outstanding police investigations."

He said Wilkie had maintained his right to silence until facing trial.

It was only after receiving full disclosure from the prosecution and documents of evidence that he then appeared able to "concoct a story" for the jury.

Wilkie's lawyer Mike Antunovic told the court at the start of the sentencing procedure today that his client maintained he had no involvement in the offending and disputed the guilty verdicts. However, he accepted that a lengthy prison term was "inevitable."

Five other participants in the drug importation ring - three men and two women - have already been jailed for between five and 12 years. Four of them entered guilty pleas to importing various quantities of methamphetamine and one was found guilty at trial.

- NZPA