Alleged cannabis ‘kingpin’ a legitimate Darwin businessman, lawyers say

AN ALLEGED cannabis ‘kingpin’ is a legitimate Darwin businessman who should be afforded the same opportunity for bail as police officer charged with murder, Zach Rolfe, a court has heard.

Peter Wellman James, 42, applied for bail in the Darwin Local Court today after his arrest last week.

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AN ALLEGED cannabis “kingpin” is a legitimate Darwin businessman who should be afforded the same opportunity for bail as police officer charged with murder, Zach Rolfe, a court has heard.

Peter Wellman James, 42, applied for bail in the Darwin Local Court today after his arrest last week, with prosecutors alleging he is the head of a syndicate broken up when police seized 132kg of cannabis.

His lawyer, Jon Tippett QC, told the court while the charges were serious, James’s strong connections to Darwin, including multiple business interests, meant he was not a flight risk if granted bail.

Mr Tippett said his client was “basically the CEO” of landscaping and ATM management businesses as well as Palmerston’s popular Nook cafe with 27 employees working for him.

He said James was also the father of three dependent children and was prepared to put up his $1m Bellamack house as surety, while his personal assistant was so confident he’d show up to court she was also prepared to put up a surety.

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“There is a tendency, your honour, in relation to bail to look at the seriousness of the offending and say ‘Oh well the offending is alleged to be serious and therefore bail should be refused’,” he said.

“I remind the court that there is a police officer on bail for murder at the present time, bailed by this court for murder and that is the most serious offence in our lexicon.”

But prosecutor Ian Rowbottom said James’s business interests also extended to Indonesia where he had transferred significant sums of money since 2013.

“He’s taken or sent no less than $400,000 Australian to himself or related entities in Indonesia and he also has been attempting to liquidate assets, including the sale of a 38ft Mustang cruiser which is currently for sale,” he said.

“He’s facing a term of imprisonment which is well into the double digits — he has every reason to flee, he has every asset to flee.

“Small businesses in Darwin are only part of this man’s assets and in my submission, the presumption has not been overcome.”

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Judge Elizabeth Morris ordered James be assessed for supervision and electronic monitoring if granted bail and adjourned the hearing until next Wednesday.

“It’s not yes, it’s not no, it’s just more information,” she said.

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Originally published as Alleged cannabis ‘kingpin’ a legitimate Darwin businessman, lawyers say