THE ADVERTISER (Bendigo, Australia) 23 November 07 Man, 31, hid geckos
A man was caught with protected native geckos concealed in socks when his car was pulled over at Heathcote, a court heard yesterday.
The Bendigo Magistrates Court heard Croydon man Kyrill Harding, 31, was also carrying magic mushrooms, LSD and cannabis when police stopped him on March 20.
Harding pleaded guilty to charges including importing wildlife into Victoria without a permit, possessing prohibited wildlife and cultivating cannabis.
The court heard Harding overtook two off duty policeman on the McIvor Highway while crossing double lines and speeding.
He was pulled over outside the Heathcote police station.
‘‘Upon searching the vehicle, police located drug paraphernalia and located three geckos contained in socks within his luggage,’’ said police prosecutor Senior-Constable Len Ladner.
‘‘The defendant produced from his jeans pocket a plastic snap lock bag containing about one gram of cannabis, a small amount of magic mushrooms and one LSD trip.’’
Department of Sustainability and Environment prosecutor, Shaun Burke told the court Harding said he picked up the geckos on a highway in New South Wales, north of Mildura.
Mr Burke said the geckos were taken from the Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary in western New South Wales, where Harding said he had been undertaking voluntary work.
The defendant picked up the reptiles because he didn’t want them to be run over, the court heard.
Police and DSE officers found a hydroponic set-up, cannabis, hashish and 12 small marijuana plants when they raided the man’s Croydon home the next day.
Defence lawyer Stella Stuthridge said Harding had been interested in the natural world since he was young, and was involved with a junior field naturalists’ group before later obtaining a degree in horticulture.
Since his late teens he had experimented with a variety of drugs, and all he cultivated was for his own use, she said.
Ms Stuthridge said Harding had taken steps to address his drug issues.
Magistrate Richard Wright said Harding’s behaviour needed to be condemned by the court.
He did not convict Harding, but fined him $2200.
Man, 31, hid geckos

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