New Plymouth man Anthony Ellison sentenced after bid to post cannabis to the South Island

Anthony Ellison was sentenced in the New Plymouth District Court after being caught trying to post a cannabis package to the South Island. Photo / NZME

A large package set for delivery has caused quite a stink for one courier company, causing it to dial in the help of the police.

After the box was dropped off at New Zealand Couriers in New Plymouth, an employee noticed it was emitting the “distinctive odour” of cannabis.

But the police didn’t have to look far to figure out who was behind the package, with the source having provided his name and contact details on the package receipt.

Today, Anthony Ellison, 40, appeared in the New Plymouth District Court charged with possession of cannabis and cultivation of cannabis, to which he pleaded guilty.

Judge Gregory Hikaka said Ellison dropped off the “large white box” to the courier on October 24 last year.

Inside was 445g of dried cannabis leaf material, intended to make the journey across the Cook Strait to an address in Tākaka.

But after the employee clocked the smell of cannabis, the police were notified.

This led to a search of Ellison’s house in New Plymouth, where police found four “large” cannabis plants growing in pots on his deck.

A “jungle grow tent”, grow lights and a set of scales were also found and seized.

When speaking with the police, Ellison said he had gone to the couriers to drop the package off for a friend.

He admitted the plants growing at his house were his.

In court, defence lawyer Emily Forsyth submitted there was no element of commercial gain in Ellison’s offending, and he was in fulltime employment with a recent opportunity to advance his career.

She said he undertook random drug-testing at work and had offered to do the same through Corrections.

The appropriate sentence was community detention, with a weekend curfew to facilitate the weekday travel Ellison undertook for work, Forsyth submitted.

Police prosecutor Lewis Sutton had no issues with the defence’s submissions but asked for a destruction order to be made in respect to the cannabis and equipment.

Judge Hikaka said Ellison had “a lot of previous convictions” but none for drug offending.

“You could count yourself fortunate. You could have faced different charges on the basis of that quantity, and your posting, as well as your admission that it was to supply someone else.”

The judge agreed the appropriate sentence was community detention, with a weekend curfew, imposing the sentence for three months.

However, he added six months of supervision and made a destruction order for the cannabis and equipment.

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 and is currently an assistant editor and reporter for the Open Justice team. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.