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Guardian
Ashburton
www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
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Donation verdict for cannabis cultivation After making a donation to a local charity an Israeli couple are free to travel, despite operating a sizable cannabis cultivation unit in their Rakaia home. Daniel Sudri, 26, and Hadas Sudri, 25, appeared before Judge Noel Welsh in the Ashburton District Court yesterday, and pleaded to guilty to cultivating cannabis. Judge Welsh was persuaded to discharge the couple without conviction, on the basis that they donated $2000 to the Salvation Army before 4pm yesterday. The money was handed over before the court’s morning adjournment and they were on their way. Ashburton police were called to the couple’s Rakaia address at about 5.35pm on June 12, alerted by a visitor to the property, who required medical attention after being overcome by strong fumes. Reinforcements were called from the Christchurch, Timaru and Selwyn districts, and St John ambulance officers also attended. Inside the home they discovered a growing set-up in a bedroom, with evidence of 54 recentlyharvested cannabis plants, and a growing plant labelled “master kosh”. Kosh refers to a variety of cannabis, and ‘master’ - to the plant from which cuttings are taken from propagation. The plants were growing under lights, with an automatic irrigation and ventilation systems installed. In the lounge room, police found drying lines where 3.5kg of cannabis head material was suspended. A dehumidifier was in use to aid with the drying process. A further
2.8kg of cannabis leaf was uncovered in another room. Duty solicitor Bevan Coombes said the cannabis was for personal use, and the couple had tickets to leave the country on July 3, having arrived on working visas in March last year. He said they had studied cannabis cultivation on the internet before setting up the system, and there was no evidence of dealing. Mr Coombes also pointed to Daniel Sudri’s distinguished career in the Israeli army, and his record of voluntary service in Africa, where he worked for a charity supporting orphaned children. Hadas Sudri practised as a horse therapist in the district, and together they planned to travel from Israel to Tanzania in the near future to resume volunteering, Mr Coombes said. He asked Judge Welsh to discharge the couple without conviction, so as not to impair their ability to get visas for future travel. The police saw the situation differently, opposing Mr Coombes’ submission, based on the amount of cannabis and the sophisticated growing operation. Prosecutor Mylen Hamilton was also concerned that without a conviction, neither of the accused would have to declare a conviction at the New Zealand border in the future. Ashburton Salvation Army manager Judith Lilley, who was in court yesterday, planned to put the money into the charity’s Christmas fund, to help needy families who had been deprived by drug dependency. More court news, P5
Photo Myles Hume 240613-MH-013
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter lands on Archibald Street in Tinwald to take an elderly man to Christchurch Hospital after he was struck by a van while riding his mobility scooter over a busy pedestrian crossing yesterday. He was in a critical condition last night.
Mobility scooter hit by van; rider critical By Myles Hume An elderly Ashburton man is in intensive care after he was struck by a van while riding his mobility scooter over a pedestrian crossing on Tinwald’s main street yesterday. The man, in his mid 80s, was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital yesterday about midday.
Last night, a Canterbury District Health Board (CBHD) spokesperson said he was in a critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Senior Sergeant Grant Russell, of Ashburton, said it appeared the man was halfway over the crossing on his mobility scooter on Archibald Street, outside Smallbone Bros Commercial Division, when a southbound van towing a small cherry picker
struck him about 11.20am. The van eventually came to a stop about 10 metres after the crossing. “We will continue investigating, there’s no way we are chucking fault at anyone at the moment,” Mr Russell said. Three police cars, two fire appliances and two St John ambulances attended the scene, while the young male driver of the van, visibly shaken, was
consoled by onlookers. Ashburton volunteer firefighters jacked up the van while St John ambulance staff treated the man on the road, before the Westpac Rescue Helicopter landed on Archibald Street to take him to Christchurch Hospital. Traffic was diverted down Graham Street, Agnes Street and Lagmhor Road for more than an hour. A witness at the scene, who
did not want to be named, said the man was “well-known” in the Tinwald area. Last night a CBHD spokesperson said the elderly man was being monitored in the intensive care unit and would provide an update on his condition this morning. Mr Russell said it was vital both pedestrians and motorists heightened their awareness at pedestrian crossings.
More families struggling as rising costs cripple By Myles Hume
Andrew Leverton
Winter is putting huge strain on several Mid Canterbury families already this year, some who are struggling to clothe their children properly for school, principals say. And there are reports the issue has extended to middle-income earners. This comes after Safer Ashburton District and the Base Youth Centre told the Guardian last week their new Coats for Kids initiative had already supplied 45
It was certainly concerning to see children turning up to school in the pouring rain in t-shirts and polar fleeces
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coats to needy Mid Canterbury children in just two weeks. On Friday, they became inundated with 28 further requests from local principals and social workers. Allenton School principal Graham Smith said there had already been a marked difference this winter.
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“I would say a lot of families seem to be struggling at an earlier stage than usual, and these aren’t just your traditional families. It’s just that the dollar isn’t going far enough for parents and we are talking about good parents here,” he said. “I think this is indicative of what is going to happen in the
future, if we don’t change income levels or take other action.” Netherby School principal Andrew Leverton said “it was certainly concerning” to see children turning up to school in the pouring rain in t-shirts and polar fleeces. The school had about eight coats delivered yesterday from the Coats for Kids initiative. “For parents it comes down to the bottom line, the cost of power is going up, the cost of food is going up. “We have seen an increase of families struggling, and many
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families have been making sacrifices just so their children can stay warm.” Mr Leverton said in the past schools have not had the easy accessibility to warm clothes for their pupils, but having the Coats for Kids initiative provided them with a timely opportunity to prevent pupils catching winter illnesses. “It’s great to see them being proactive, and it will mean these coats will last a while and can be passed down to siblings.” Mid Canterbury Principals’ Association president Neil Simons
said it sometimes came down to making a difficult decision for families. Food on the table, or clothes? The Coats for Kids initiative administrators said last week they needed more coats to cope with the influx of children in need of warm clothing. Safer Ashburton District senior youth worker Deb Hay can be contacted on 0272650963 and Base Youth Centre co-ordinator Stacey Smith can be called on 0211840945, or coats can be dropped at the Base Youth Centre on Tancred Street.
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