Drug Theft Allegation
Newcastle Herald
Saturday June 30, 2007
CESSNOCK City Council's former senior ranger Scott Hinks has denied driving a motor vehicle under the influence of a drug used to kill impounded animals.
Hinks, 34, of Pearson Street, Narama, pleaded not guilty in Kurri Kurri Local Court yesterday to driving on Lake Road, Elrington, on February 27, 2006, under the influence of pentobarbitone, the scientific name for the euthanasia drug lethobarb.He also pleaded not guilty to stealing three bottles of lethobarb from the council, failing to properly store the bottles, damaging an impounded Daewoo sedan and attempting to steal a car stereo from the Daewoo at Kurri Kurri.The drug was detected in a blood sample after Hinks crashed his dual-cab council utility at about 5pm on February 27 on Lake Road, magistrate Sharron Crews was told.Ambulance officer Lee McLellan said Hinks was unconscious and not breathing when she arrived at the scene.She found a "relatively full" brown glass bottle on the ute's floor as she treated Hinks and gave the bottle to senior constable Greg Ryan at the scene.Constable Ryan said two council representatives told him Hinks was the subject of a council investigation.Former council ranger Matthew Whiteside told the court he found three bottles of lethobarb behind the driver's seat in Hinks's ute after the accident.Mr Whiteside said Hinks told him he had tried to steal the stereo from the Daewoo and then said he would "fix" the situation.A short time later the Daewoo was destroyed by fire, the court heard.Defence barrister Steven Torpey said Hinks would give evidence when the case resumed. The matter was adjourned to Cessnock Local Court on October 9.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald