UPDATED: 8:03am – Rollie Heke has been sentenced to five years and five months jail, for importing meth from prison.
Heke was arrested late last month following a two-week manhunt after he allegedly shot at police with a military-style semi-automatic weapon in Morrinsville.
The 36-year-old is also facing three charges of attempted murder of police.
Today in the High Court at Wellington he was sentenced on one charge of importing methamphetamine, and one of conspiracy to import methamphetamine. He had previously pleaded gulty.
Justice Karen Clark said Heke was caught by an 18-month multi-agency investigation that targeted an organised criminal group that was importing and distributing methamphetamine throughout New Zealand in 2013 and 2014.
At the time, Heke was in Rimutaka prison. But he managed to coordinate the importation of methamphetamine from Thailand. One consignment got through but police stopped the second.
“You were in prison at the time and without a mobile phone, so could not contact [your co accused] Mr Ata directly. You made indirect contact through Ms Moka, your mother,” Justice Clark said.
Justice Clark said Heke had used his mother as the intermediary for both deliveries, and for payments.
Heke’s sentence started at five years for the methamphetamine offending, and Justice Clark noted there was aggravating factors of premeditation and that Heke was a serving prisoner.
Heke was granted a 20 per cent discount for pleading guilty, leading to the final sentence of five years five months.
“Importation involves planning, that is obvious. But your importation involved a degree of planning and premeditation beyond the planning that is inherent in arranging importation.
“To arrange importation from prison requires a level of commitment and forethought and care, which elevates the premeditation beyond the intrinsic of importation. “And you needed an intermediary. You found your intermediary in your mother.”
Justice Clark said Heke was granted electronically monitored bail in July last year to allow him to attend a drug rehabilitation programme, but he cut off the bracelet and fled.
On August 13 this year in the Waikato town of Morrinsville, Heke allegedly shot at police officers with a military-style semi-automatic weapon.
Officers spent two weeks looking for him across the country, finding him at a home in the Kaingaroa Forest township, southeast of Rotorua, on August 25.
Police said he was taken into custody without incident after armed officers surrounded the property.
-NewstalkZB
