Tauranga gang member jailed for three years after filming jurors in drug dealing trial

A patched Greazy Dogs member who used his mobile phone to film jurors during a major drug-dealing trial in an attempt to intimidate them has been jailed for three years.

The jury trial in August last year, which involved Greazy Dogs vice-president Jay Tarahina Kiwi, had to be aborted after his associate, Dylan Cameron, 39, from Bethlehem was caught filming jury members and a witness in the trial.

Cameron was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court today in relation to a charge of wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice by filming jury members and a witness at the Tauranga courthouse after a jury found him guilty of this offence on April 9.

The offences were committed on August 22 last year, on the second day of Kiwi's first jury trial which had to be aborted due to Cameron's actions.

Cameron, a patched member of the Greazy Dogs, had arrived at the Tauranga courthouse to support Kiwi that day, the court heard.

A police detective saw Cameron holding his phone up and appearing to record members of the public gathering for jury selection.

A short time later Cameron was also seen recording video as he walked between a witness in the trial and the detective who was speaking to the person.

During the jury selection process, Cameron held his phone up to the glass window of the trial courtroom and recorded the jury panel selection process.

He was also seen glaring at the newly selected jury members as they walked past him.

Crown prosecutor Richard Jensen submitted that given the gravity of Cameron's offending a jail sentence of three years' prison was the appropriate outcome.

Jenson argued it was serious offending involving the whole jury panel, there was also a "gang overtone" to Cameron's actions, and a second jury trial for Kiwi was needed.

Cameron's lawyer, Craig Horsley, told Judge David Cameron it was not the most serious case of its kind, as none of the jury members had been "individually targeted".

Judge Cameron agreed it was serious offending and justified three years' prison.

Despite Cameron's letter of remorse, the pre-sentence report clearly showed he had little insight into his offending, he said.

Kiwi's second jury trial ended on August 29 after he pleaded guilty to five charges relating to possessing methamphetamine for supply, threatening to do grievous bodily harm to a woman, and conspiring to supply methamphetamine.

Kiwi's unsuccessful attempt at setting up a South Island drug ring earned him nine years' jail sentence on October 19 last year.