Kenneth Allan Burton 35, and Katrina Anne Burton, 33, admitted a joint charge of possession of equipment for the manufacture of P -- pure methamphetamine -- at a property in Waimate last October, when they appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday.Ken Burton also admitted charges of manufacturing methamphetamine and unlawful possession of firearms at a property in Aorangi Road, Christchurch, on November 29. Several other charges against the couple will be withdrawn as a result of the guilty pleas.The couple's children were at both the rural Waimate property and the Christchurch house the family shifted to weeks after their Waimate home was raided.Child, Youth, and Family (CYF) staff alerted police to the Christchurch address, because of concerns about the welfare of the three children, aged from four weeks to 13 years.Police prosecutor Stewart Sluis said the three children were at home when the property in Waimate was surrounded about 8.12pm on October 25.
It took 13 minutes before the Burtons and their children came out, and in that time a lot of activity was seen inside the house, including smoke billowing from the chimney. The remains of chemicals and containers commonly used in P manufacturing were found at the property.Katrina Burton told the police she and her husband never used P in front of the children.When the Christchurch property was raided, a van at the house was found to contain chemicals. Ken Burton acknowledged they were for manufacturing methamphetamine. The van had its windows blacked out and smelled strongly of chemical.Two . 22 rifles, a .303 rifle, and an air rifle were found hidden in the walls of the house. Burton claimed the rifles were for hunting.The couple have been in custody since their arrest at their Christchurch home in late November. Initially they both faced charges as a result of that raid. Their children were taken into CYF care after both the Waimate and Christchurch incidents.Katrina Burton will appear in the Christchurch District Court todayfor a hearing to decide whether she will be allowed bail pending her sentencing on April 4. Ken Burton has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in the High Court on March 13.
Days after the Waimate raid, Ken Burton claimed the raid on his Waimate property had been over the top.He claimed the couple had been watching Coronation Street when armed offenders and other police arrived with a search warrant.
Burton said seeing armed offenders with firearms had been harrowing for his children.
"For using P you'd expect a run-of-the-mill search. The last thing any child should see is their dad with a machine gun at his head."
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