Meth addiction led Lilly Quigley to join a rifle club and sell guns

Appearing in Hamilton District Court, Quigley told NZME “fuck you” and hid his face in his sleeve to avoid being photographed in the dock.

He had been a fugitive since June, when he pleaded guilty to the charges and violated his right to electronically monitored bail.

Judge Crayton told Quigley, who reappeared via audio-visual link from Auckland Women’s Prison on Thursday, that in her last appearance she looked like someone under the influence of meth.

He didn’t want to punish her in that situation, so he detained her until she commented that he “looked much better today than last time.”

He was later sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison for six charges, including theft and offering to supply meth.

Wilson will be sentenced later this month.

Disturbing

The Hamilton Smallbore Rifle Club featured a target shooting range and a gun safe containing 14 .22 caliber rifles, money and tools, while a smaller safe contained bolts for firearms and 5000 rounds of .22 ammunition.

Between 21 October and 11 November last year, Quigley and Wilson traveled there in their car multiple times, while van der Heyden drove his own car and was posted outside as a “lookout”.

Over the course of several days, Quigley and Wilson went to the club, forcing open the outer door and another door before finally reaching the safes.

Once Quigley entered, firearms were dispersed and the small safe was removed.

Approximately $10,000 inside both safes was placed in Wilson’s car, and while the firearms were taken to a rural property and tested, the pair also attempted to sell the firearms “in the community” for meth.

The pair went to the Riverglade Archery Club between October 8 and 27 and broke into a container by cutting the padlock and, on another occasion, cutting through the entire reinforced locking mechanism.

Twelve bows, 72 arrows, eight sights, two metal detectors and a cash box valued at approximately $8,000 were stolen.

They again tried to trade the equipment for meth.

Quigley also admitted three charges of obtaining a dehumidifier between July and August last year and supplying 5 grams of meth between October and November.

‘He accepted that he would go to prison’

Attorney Kerry Tustin said his client knew he would receive prison time and accepted he would not be given any credit for bail.

Tustin said he was “always impressed by Miss Quigley as a person” and saw her as someone who was intelligent and had the skills to go far, but could not find the right support.

Judge Crayton accepted Quigley was “brilliant” and said he had a good reason to stay clean when he was released, and that it was for the sake of his children.

“But at the end of the day, it’s going to be a matter of dealing with anyone who has an addiction.”

Judge Crayton said when it came to determining who the “mastermind” of the burglaries between himself and Wilson was, he had already decided to sentence each of them separately.

“This was a relationship of mutual destruction. This was a completely dysfunctional relationship. “There is never a happy ending in these relationships.”

He told Quigley his crime was “serious” but acknowledged it stemmed from a meth addiction he picked up as a result of the trauma he experienced growing up.

However, she urged him to deal with this trauma as he would likely relapse after being released from prison, reminding him that it would be something he would have to fight for the rest of his life.

“Miss Quigley, you have great potential… I hope you can seize this opportunity and realize this potential. Good luck.”

Meanwhile, van der Heyden was sentenced to seven months house arrest and ordered to pay $1,200 in compensation.

Judge Crayton said that although he played a lesser role, it was a complementary role.

“You didn’t distance yourself.”

He had also previously suffered a traumatic head injury, which explained to some extent why he allowed himself to be manipulated by others.

He added that he hoped to never see himself in court again: “It is clear that you could be described as a vulnerable person because of these factors.”

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has been with NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20 years.