Synthetics deaths: New details about man who supplied drugs to sister, cousin

Details have emerged about how a West Auckland man supplied his sister - the mother of a newborn - and cousin synthetic drugs shortly before they died.

Isitolo Roimata Douglas Uritua - also known as Chris - was charged with two counts of supplying a psychoactive substance after the deaths of his sister Marilyn Makikiriti and cousin Junior Taneao in September last year.

Makikiriti, 26, died on Monday, September 11 - just two weeks after she gave birth to her third child.

Her cousin Junior Taneao died two days later.

In July Uritua, now 33, pleaded guilty to supplying both relatives with synthetics.

He will be sentenced in the Waitakere District Court on September 24.

The Herald was granted access to the summary of facts, which outlines exactly how and why Uritua supplied the drugs.

The summary reveals that Uritua and Makikiriti were at his New Lynn home together on the evening of September 11.

Makikiriti asked Uritua to source her some synthetic drugs and gave him $20 cash.

At about 9pm Uritua took his sister to the home of an associate in Glen Eden.

There, Uritua purchased a "small snaplock bag" containing about 1g of synthetic drugs.

The siblings then went home and the drugs were divided into three portions - for Uritua, Makikiriti and his mate.

Uritua and his mate went to an abandoned house nearby and consumed all of their share of the drugs.

Makikiriti stayed at home and took her share.

Later that evening she collapsed and died.

Police were called to the sudden death and spoke with Uritua.

The summary of facts states officers told Uritua that the consumption of synthetic drugs was the likely cause of his sister's death.

"The defendant accepted this was a possibility," the summary said.

"However as he and his friend had also consumed synthetic (drugs) and had not suffered any ill effects, he couldn't understand why it would affect her and not them.

"The defendant was reluctant to reveal where he got the synthetics from due to possible reprisal from his associate whom he got the (drugs) from."

On Wednesday September 14 Uritua was at home with a number of other family members mourning Makikiriti's death.

Taneao was at the house and asked Uritua if he could supply him with synthetic drugs.

Again, Uritua agreed and took Taneao to his associate's house in Glen Eden.

He purchased $20 of synthetic drugs, this time from a different person.

"The defendant then supplied the synthetics to his cousin," the summary said.

"He did not take any for himself."

Taneao returned to his home and consumed the drugs.

In the early hours of the next morning, he was found dead.

"The causes of death of the defendant's sister and cousin have been confirmed to be a result of the psychoactive substance," the police document said.

Makikiriti and Taneao's deaths are among more than 45 currently before the Coroner believed to be related to synthetic drug use.

Calum Jones is another name on the tragic list.

Jones, a 23-year-old father of one, died on September 1 last year after using synthetics.

In June West Auckland man Jonathan Gordon, 23, was sentenced to community detention and supervision for supplying Jones with the drugs.

Jones had been battling an addiction to synthetic drugs for years and had only been home from full-time rehab for one day when he died.

Despite doing better than he had in years and getting on top of his severe addiction, Jones used synthetic drugs shortly before his death.

Jones' parents Lewis and Lorraine teamed up with National MP Simeon Brown to petition for harsher sentences for people who supply synthetics.

In July the Herald reported that Cabinet was seeking urgent advice over the spike in deaths linked to the use of synthetic cannabis.

Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters said the "worrying" increase in deaths had been discussed by Cabinet after provisional figures from the Coroner showed that up to 45 people had died from using synthetic cannabis in the year to June.

That compared to only two deaths in the previous five years.

"Whatever it is, 40 to 45 [deaths] is a serious spike," he said.

"Cabinet reviewed the actions that the agencies are currently taking and the Ministers of Health, Justice, Police and Customs will now be seeking co-ordinated advice from their various agencies on how to best urgently reduce the size and the supply of this drug with the aim of turning this spike around and getting this dangerous drug out of our communities," Peters told reporters at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference.

Peters acknowledged that previous action to deal with the problem had not been successful and a multi-agency response was needed as fast as possible.

"We haven't come up with the kind of solutions which have seen a turnaround and a victory against the people who are peddling this stuff and the number of deaths that are involved."