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Dad’s home drug lab
Father
of 10
let off
prison
By MEAGAN DILLON
Court Reporter
A DARWIN tradesman has
escaped jail time for setting
up a home-made laboratory
to cook his own methamphetamines because drugs on
the street were too expensive
and poor quality.
Robert Ewen Chin, 48, was
given an 18-month fully suspended prison sentence.
You have been drug
dependent for a
very long time
The NT Supreme Court
was told Chin started manufacturing methamphetamines because it was cheaper
and he could have greater
control over the purity.
He used the internet to
learn how to cook the drug.
The father of 10 was using
his family’s Moulden home,
in Palmerston, as a ‘‘small
home-built laboratory’’ before it was raided.
Robert Ewen Chin was arrested after police raided a house in Moulden, Palmerston, in November last year
NT Police found iodine,
pseudoephedrine, acetone,
methylated spirits and hydrochloric acid — all used in
producing methamphetamines — during the search
on November 23 last year.
The court heard a mixture
of pseudoephedrine and solvent was actively undergoing
an ephedrine extraction process in a plastic bottle, and
there were two glass beakers
and a dish also being used in
the drug’s manufacture.
A portable cooker, scales,
glass pipes were also found
during the search.
In January, Chin was pulled over by police who spotted a glass pipe in the map
pocket of his car before 4.5g
of methamphetamines were
found in a lolly container in
his shorts. Justice Dean
Mildren said Chin started
taking amphetamines as he
worked long hours in the
building trade.
‘‘It is clear to me that you
have been drug dependent
for a very long time,’’ he said.
This is the second time
Justice Mildren has had to
sentence Chin. In 2005, he
gave him a 15-month sentence, suspended after 28
days, for reducing amphetamine paste to ‘‘ice’’ — a purer
form of the drug.
Go-ahead for deck cheer
wood Cres side of the premises. Owner
Jason Hanna also applied for a condition that alcohol only be served with
a meal be removed. Commission presiding member Cindy Bravos said the
licensee will be able to control noise
levels and allowing patrons to drink
liquor without a meal wouldn’t
change its ‘‘primary purpose’’.
HUNGRY THIEF
TREE
Problems?
A WOMAN stole two
meat pies from a Darwin
service station after
threatening staff with a
large railway line nail,
police said. She was
found a short time later
around the corner, tucking into the food.
The incident happened
at the servo on the junction of McMillans and
Rothdale roads in Jingili
at 7.45pm on Monday.
RURAL REGOS
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Stump Grinding
Arboriculture
Consultancy
Professional Service
10FH12
Fax: 8947 4331
E: [email protected]
www.arafuratrees.com.au
www.ntnews.com.au
REGISTRATIONS for one
of the biggest gatherings of rural, regional
and remote women in
the country are open.
The inaugural National
Rural Women’s Conference — an initiative of
the National Rural Women’s Coalition — will attract more than 500
women to Canberra
from February 18 to 20.
Taking care of Business
Steve Davis
The RITE Series - Lights, Camera, Blog
Lights, Camera, Blog will explore how effective online media can be developed
using simple tools that anyone can use.
Wednesday 17 October 2012, 6pm to 8pm
(follow up workshops 18 October, 9am to 12 midday and 1pm to 4pm)
Venue: Darwin Entertainment Centre
Cost:
Funded by the Northern Territory Government
When:
Win a Sunbeam Caffe` Bellissimo coffee machine
valued at $999 sponsored by The Good Guys. Visit the
OBM Facebook page for competition details
at www.facebook.com/obm.nt
B k now!
Book
PUB:
A POPULAR Darwin restaurant has
been given the green light to open an
outside alfresco dining area and patrons will now be able to buy booze
without a meal.
The NT Licensing Commission has
approved an application by Nirvana
Restaurant, on Smith St, to open a
deck to seat 35 patrons on the Dash-
For a full list of OBM 2012 events visit www.nt.gov.au/obm
WSNE9NT
GE:
10-O
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OBM is proudly sponsored by
Wednesday, October 10, 2012. NT NEWS.
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