Hi Russell this link is broken: The page you requested could not be found: /hardnews/ungass-and-the-drug-free-world-illusion/alpha-pvp easily synthesised (from your second response to your own article)

Great illustration of how Police mug shots are never intended to show anything other than a 'threat to society' - probably the reason he opted for the more natural selfie

No idea - but it seems like a good reason to give Judges more loo and snack breaks at the very least. Here are some stats on untensil possession sentencing - it's pretty clear that the penalties are out of wack: PUNISHING DRUG USE

How New Zealand has treated minor drug offenders over the past six years:

CANNABIS POSSESSION
Charges: 17,931
Convicted: 13,131
Imprisoned: 890
Maximum penalty: 3 months in prison and/or a $500 fine

CANNABIS UTENSIL
(SUCH AS A PIPE)
Charges: 11,057
Convicted: 7,563
Imprisoned: 737
Maximum penalty: A year in prison and/or $500 fine

METHAMPHETAMINE POSSESSION
Charges: 2185
Convicted: 1523
Imprisoned: 341
Maximum penalty: 6 months in prison and/or $1000 fine

METHAMPHETAMINE UTENSI(SUCH AS A PIPE)

Charges: 3899
Convicted: 2765
Imprisoned: 548
Maximum penalty: A year in prison and/or a $500 fine

- The Dominion Post via http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8151844/Petty-drug-users-fill-New-Zealand-jails

While in no way attempting to excuse the Judges decision (and his try hard - tough on crime stance) this is noteworthy: 'Parole decisions are made by judges in some countries, such as Israel, where researchers investigated how those decisions are influenced by the critical human issue of lunch. Over the course of a day, the judges approve about 35% of prisoners’ applications for parole. But the approval rate declines steadily in the two hours before lunch, almost to zero just before the lunch break. Immediately after lunch, it spikes to 65% and then again declines steadily. If you’re a prisoner, the number of years you spend behind bars could be affected significantly by whether your parole application happens to be the last one on the judge’s stack before lunch or the first one after. [ http://fortune.com/2015/07/23/humans-are-underrated/ ]

'The fracas started after Judge John McDonald finished sentencing a man to a month in jail on a charge of possessing a pipe used for smoking drugs.The man, facing other drugs charges, appeared for a callover and as he was being escorted back down to the building by First Security officers, the judge called him back. Judge McDonald opted to sentence him before lunch...' [ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11131314 ]

A month in jail for a pipe?! If that was the sentence on the 'lesser charge' I hate to think how the more serious one went. If I was that guy, in light of the research, I would be politely requesting a review of that trigger happy pre-lunch hunger driven vindictive decision