Man supplied drugs in chocolate

A Christchurch man who supplied chocolate bars laced with magic mushrooms to a motorcycle gang has been put on home detention for six months. The two offences of supplying the class A drug psilocybin carry a maximum term of life imprisonment. But Simon Peter McCormick, 36, was seen as a low risk of reoffending at his Christchurch District Court sentencing before Judge David Holderness today. He had admitted charges of supplying the magic mushrooms, possession of a cannabis preparation that was a class B drug and possession of cannabis. Defence counsel Jonathan Eaton said there had been no commercial aspect to McCormick's supply of the drug. He had seen it as "somewhat cool" to have a loose association with a Nelson motorcycle gang but had now distanced himself from the group. He had "significantly cut back" his drug use. Judge Holderness told McCormick: "You knew you were supplying it to the gang. Many members of the community are concerned about the association between gangs and drugs." He noted that McCormick had a good job and was seen as a valuable employee. He imposed six months of home detention - recommended by McCormick's pre-sentence report - with special conditions to apply for six months after that.