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Home / New Zealand

Stolen drugs found in Tauranga hotel room

Sandra Conchie
By Sandra Conchie
Multimedia Journalist, Bay of Plenty Times·Bay of Plenty Times·
30 Oct, 2017 03:56 AM3 mins to read

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An Auckland health professional admitted stealing drugs and medical equipment when he Tauranga District Court on Monday. File/ Photo

An Auckland health professional admitted stealing drugs and medical equipment when he Tauranga District Court on Monday. File/ Photo

A suicidal medical professional has admitted stealing drugs and medical equipment which was later found in his Tauranga hotel room and his vehicle.

The defendant, who appeared in Tauranga District Court on Monday,) has been granted name suppression.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of burgles for drugs $500 - $5000. Each charge attracts a maximum sentence of 10 years' prison.

No convictions have yet been entered against the defendant's court file.

The man's lawyer, Tony Balme, told Judge Edwin Paul that his client had been quite unwell and had stolen the drugs because he wanted to end his life.

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The police summary of facts revealed that on October 25 the defendant gained access to a secure room at a St John Ambulance station and stole a significant amount of medications from a locked safe, including ampules of Ketamine.

The defendant then drove to a hospital in Auckland and made his way to a restricted area where controlled drugs and other medications are stored.

He transported four large gas cylinders of nitrous oxide commonly known as laughing gas to his vehicle using a laundry cart, then opened a locked safe and removed 60 ampules of drugs, including the opiates morphine and ketamine.

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The defendant stole a total of 134 ampules of controlled drugs and other medications, which also included the opiate pain medication fentanyl.

The stolen drugs and other medical equipment were found in the man's hotel room and his vehicle when police located him in Tauranga on October 27.

The defendant told police he had stolen the drugs because he wanted to end his life, and was about to inject himself with lethal doses of the medication before officers arrived.

Mr Balme, who entered guilty pleas on his client's behalf, asked Judge Paul not to enter convictions as an application for a discharge without conviction was possible.

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He also sought interim name suppression for the defendant who had become "quite unwell", he said.

Mr Balme asked for the matter to be transferred to Waitakere District Court for sentence and said the defendant's case would need to be re-assigned to an Auckland lawyer.

Judge Paul granted interim name suppression mainly because of the state of the man's mental health.

Judge Paul remanded the defendant on bail subject to a raft of conditions to next appear in Waitakere District Court on February 9 for sentence.

That included a referral to a forensic psychologist appointment and he also called for a medical health report to assist the sentencing judge in relation to the type of sentence.

IF YOU NEED HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
Or if you need to talk to someone else:
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633
• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (Mon-Fri 1pm to 10pm. Sat-Sun 3pm-10pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
• Samaritans 0800 726 666

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