Drug Addicts Target Pharmacies
Posted on: Thursday, 17 November 2005, 18:00 CST
TWO New Plymouth men who robbed different pharmacies to feed their drug addictions have been sent to prison.
A New Plymouth District Court judge said their crimes were part of a recent wave of drug robberies of Taranaki pharmacies.
Justin Rangi Remihana (32) and Andrew Charles Chard (34) appeared in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday for sentencing on two separate incidents.
Judge Louis Bidois told the court that pharmacy theft had become a real problem.
"There has been a spate of offending in this area of people seeking drugs from pharmacies . . . many of them on the methadone programme seeking to get more, or people looking for pseudoephedrine products," Judge Bidois said.
Remihana walked into the Unichem Ducks Pharmacy in Inglewood on August 13, armed with a knife and asked for methadone.
His lawyer, Paul Keegan, said Remihana made no attempt to disguise himself and shook the pharmacist's hand before he left the shop.
"This was not to make a profit. He was doing this because his body was telling him he needed this drug," Mr Keegan said.
Remihana had recently been asked to leave the methadone programme.
After getting the drug from the pharmacist Remihana walked across the road, drank the $37 worth of methadone and waited for police, Mr Keegan said.
Remihana had earlier admitted to a charge of aggravated robbery and five charges of using a document.
Judge Bidois said Remihana had 55 previous convictions, including three for aggravated robbery and he had a high risk of re- offending.
He sentenced Remihana to four-and-a-half years' jail, with a minimum non-parole period of two-thirds.
Chard had earlier admitted breaking into the Vogletown Pharmacy at 3.30am on October 25 and taking $380 worth of drugs and other items.
He also admitted being in possession of equipment for burglary.
At the time of the offending Chard was on the methadone programme and he told police he wanted the drugs to knock himself out.
Judge Bidois said Chard's offending was a spur of the moment thing. He sentenced him to a total of eight months' jail and gave him leave to apply for home detention, and ordered him to pay $426 reparation.
Source: Daily News; New Plymouth, New Zealand
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