Warwick Smith / Stuff
Gary Colin O’Connell, pictured, says he used Nathan Brian Robert’s construction company to clean up some of the $4 million he made trading meth. Robert says it didn’t happen.
A construction company owner says he falsely pleaded guilty to helping a methamphetamine dealer wash some of the $4 million he made because his attorney failed to help him testify.
But the attorney says the business owner failed to provide evidence and witnesses, as well as negotiate a plea, leading to the plea.
Nathan Brian Robert appeared in Palmerston North District Court on Wednesday for: a hearing to try to undo his guilty plea†
He pleaded guilty in July 2021 to laundering $53,848.40 in money for Gary Colin O’Connell between May 2018 and August 2019.
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According to court documents, regular cash deposits were made into Robert’s accounts.
O’Connell was paid 61 times wages from those accounts as an employee of Robert’s company, despite the police following O’Connell never seeing him do any work for Robert.
O’Connell worked, but only as the leader of a meth-trafficking network that police estimated to make $4 million in five years†
O’Connell admitted to laundering money through Robert’s company.
But in court on Wednesday, Robert said all the money was legitimate.
While it is easy for defendants to switch from innocent to guilty – it is common – to go the other way, exceptional circumstances are needed, such as misconduct by counsel or the defendant not fully assessing the seriousness of a crime. sees.
DENISE PIPER/STUFF
Northland District Health Board meth clinician Cordelia Waetford explains how methamphetamine is addictive and how treatment helps. (Video first published in January 2020).
Robert said he had multiple meetings with his then-lawyer Simon Parsons before a scheduled trial in July 2021, during which he discussed his defense.
The money came from multiple sources, such as loan repayments, motorcycle sales, gambling winnings and job payments.
He hired O’Connell as a foreman of sorts, supervising the staff until he arrived for jobs later in the day, Roberts said.
Parsons said he wrote a letter to Robert in the run-up to the trial, telling him he had to provide evidence for his defense.
Required supporting documents include O’Connell tax and payroll records, TradeMe sales records, gambling records, and photographs of O’Connell at work sites.
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The improvements to this property in Shannon were paid for with Gary O’Connell’s drug money
Witnesses’ names and contact details were also required so that they could provide evidence and be called.
But nothing was given leading up to the trial date, despite Robert being given a schedule of what was needed, Parsons said.
Robert raised the possibility of pleading guilty days before the scheduled trial, and wanted negotiations with the Crown to begin, Parsons said.
Parsons provided several documents, including letters and a summary of the facts signed by Robert, to show that Robert had pleaded guilty without undue pressure.
Robert pleaded guilty after going through all the relevant documents and reading the charges to him in court, Parsons said.
Robert had three witnesses testify in court on Wednesday, all of whom said they had legitimately deposited money into his accounts.
But they were unable to provide a response when Judge Lance Rowe pointed out that their reasons for the deposits were different from the reasons Robert gave his bank when they inquired about compliance with anti-money laundering rules.
The trio also said they were working with Robert to match the amount they paid with exact numbers and dates he had of his statements.
The judge reserved his decision until September.