A man currently in residential rehabilitation has denied several new drug-related charges and two charges of receiving stolen items

Samuel Alexander Bennett appeared before Judge Dominic Dravitzki in the Ashburton District Court via video link on Monday.

The 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving a stolen KTM bike in Lyttelton between April 5 and 6.

He also denied receiving a green Kawasaki dirt bike worth $8500 in Ashburton on April 12, knowing it had been stolen.

Bennett pleaded not guilty to additional charges on April 12 for possessing methamphetamine and a pipe for the use of meth - and possessing cannabis and a bong for cannabis.

Lawyer Cory Shaw said Bennett elected to have a jury trial. He said Bennett was due to be sentenced on other drug-related charges and asked that the charges run alongside the new charges.

Judge Dravitzki remanded Bennett on bail in residential rehab. He will appear again on July 29.

Costly emotional outburst

A mother in an on-and-off relationship with her ex-partner is paying the price of an emotional outburst after finding the man in bed with her friend.

The 25-year-old Netherby woman lived across the road from the father of her child. When she saw her long-term friend's car parked in his driveway early on December 3 last year, Candice Joan Gordon decided to confront the pair.

Lawyer Jennifer North said Gordon entered her partner's home and found her partner and friend in bed.

Gordon hit her friend in the face with a pillow and stormed out of the house, intentionally damaging her friend's car on the way past.

Gordon's partner followed her outside and "knocked her out cold".

North said he was facing separate charges from the incident. Gordon was charged with assault and intentional damage.

"There's quite a bit of context."

She was acting in the heat of the moment and knows it was a stupid thing to have done, North said.

Gordon had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Stuart Whyte said reparation of $400 was sought for the insurance excess for the damaged front passenger door.

Gordon was given a six-month supervision sentence, ordered to do 50 hours' community work and to pay $400 in reparation.

Cannabis supply

A Chertsey man pleaded guilty to three drug charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Mason John Burton, 49, admitted cultivating cannabis, possessing cannabis for supply and possessing a pipe for cannabis.

“You have some history of those matters.”

Judge Dravitzki said Burton was found with 86g of processed cannabis and called for a pre-sentence report.

Burton will appear again on July 29.

Fourth conviction

Duke Catty Dawson, 33, is facing serious consequences after being caught drink driving and driving while disqualified for the fourth time.

Police pulled Dawson over following some aggressive driving of a farm bike on a dirt road near Arundel on March 8.

He blew 787 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and admitted he was driving while disqualified.

Lawyer Gretchen Hart said Dawson was also due to appear for sentencing for breaching a community work sentence.

She said Dawson had a recent injury and was awaiting shoulder surgery and had only completed one hour of the community work sentence.

Judge Dravitzki said Dawson had been assessed for an electronically monitored sentence instead of community work and had now pleaded guilty to new driving charges.

The judge said 787mcg was just under the level that would trigger an automatic interlock sentence.

“It’s made worse by the fact that your driving was poor.”

Judge Dravitzki said Dawson had a significant history of alcohol-impaired driving and driving disqualified.

"I'm not satisfied that community detention would be a deterrent. You are perilously close to a jail sentence."

Dawson was given four months' home detention and disqualified from driving for 15 months from the end of his current disqualification which runs through until October.

Guilty plea

Arron Geoffrey Laurence Clark, 40, admitted a breach of his intensive supervision sentence for failing to comply with drug tests.

Judge Dravitzki said Clark had a "prolonged period of non-compliance" with a sentence that was in place to support Clark.

The judge called for a pre-sentence report and remanded Clark to July 29.

Drink driving admitted

Alexis Adrien Froc, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving on West Street on March 8.

The Rakaia man blew 452mcg. He will appear again on July 15 when his lawyer will put forward an application for a discharge without conviction.

Weapons charges admitted

Michael Wayne Overand, 58, admitted possessing three weapons and unlawfully carrying a firearm in a public place on April 18.

He was found in possession of a knife, machete, hunting knife, air gum and a pipe for the use of drugs on West Street.

Judge Dravitzki called for a pre-sentence report and remanded Overand to July 29.

Bolt cutters, balaclavas admitted

Christchurch man Jacob Terry Merrilees, 27, pleaded guilty to possessing several items with the intent to commit burglary after police withdrew an additional charge of possessing a pipe for the use of meth.

Merrilees was travelling in a vehicle with two others on January 13 when police stopped the car and found a bolt cutter, balaclavas, wire cutters and a torch.

He was charged with the possession of instruments for burglary with the intent to use them for burglary.

Judge Dravitzki said the distinctive vehicle had been seen outside premises that had been burgled the day before. The police had observed the car for a while and stopped it later that day.

Merrilees told police the trio had planned to get copper when they got to Dunsandel.

The judge said the charges arose in "pretty suspicious circumstances" but noted Merrilees had no history of dishonest behaviour.

Judge Dravitzki said it was likely Merrilees was not keeping good company and there was a suggestion he had a problem with meth.

Merrilees was sentenced to 90 hours' community work and nine months' supervision.

Charges admitted

Joshua Thomas Smith, 35, admitted a raft of charges including careless driving, receiving stolen property, possession of meth and utensils for meth, shoplifting from the Warehouse in Ashburton and failing to stop for police.

He will appear again on July 29.

Immediate limited licence

George Ivan Sparks, 27, was fined $400 and ordered to pay reparation of $115 for blood tests and $130 in court costs on a drink driving charge.

Sparks was stopped at a routine police stop on March 8 on Archibald Street.

He had a blood alcohol level of 83mg of blood per 100ml blood.

Lawyer Tiffany McRae asked the judge to backdate any disqualification to allow Sparks to apply for an immediate limited licence to allow him to keep his job.

"I’m prepared to do that," the judge said after a brief remand to consider the case.

"You are a first offender at 27 years of age. The level, in this case, is only just over the level for mandatory disqualification. There was no bad driving at all, and you were fully cooperative with the police."

Warrant issued

An arrest warrant was issued for Michelle Marie Bennett.

The 40-year-old was in court on a charge of allowing another person to grow cannabis at her Hampstead property.

The police searched her home on September 2 last year and found grow tents with nine established cannabis plans and several seedlings.

Bennett pleaded guilty but did not return to court for the afternoon session after her case was stood down to explore sentencing options.

By Sharon Davis