Police criticised for searches in case of woman accused of aiding friend's suicide

Susan Austen is charged with assisting suicide and two charges of importing a Class C drug.

Police officers who searched the home and later arrested a 67-year-old woman accused of aiding an elderly friend to commit suicide have come under fire at her trial for searches made in relation to the case. 

Susan Austen is accused of importing the drug Pentobarbitone and supplying it to Annemarie Treadwell, knowing she would use it to end her life.

Mrs Treadwell was found dead in her retirement home in June 2016 by her daughter.

A search warrant was carried out at Austen's house in October 2016.

Detective Sergeant Miriam Reddington was this afternoon criticised by Austen’s lawyer, Dr Donald Stevens, over searches carried out.

Dr Stevens said that a checkpoint was set up in Lower Hutt by police on October 2 2016, outside where an Exit International meeting had been held.

The checkpoint has been under investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority. The findings of the investigation will be released at the end of the trial.

"A breath testing stop was being conducted by police officers. And you were in charge of this at the time, so you organised this, which was really a ruse wasn't it? You didn't think these elderly people had been drinking! You wanted to get their names and addresses," Dr Stevens said.

"How could elderly people attending a lawful meeting be stopped?" he asked.

"I was directed to set up the checkpoint… with a view of following up (on the people) to make sure they were OK," Detective Sergeant Reddington said, when re-questioned by the Crown.

That answer produced laughs and gasps from the public gallery, many of whom are supporters of Austen.

"There was a real concern that people were being supplied with Pentobarbitone. There was concern that perhaps people would take their own lives… there was a duty of care to make sure none of that action took place."

"We were under the belief the defendant was in possession of Pentobarbitone. The concern was she was aiding and abetting people to commit suicide," Detective Sergeant Reddington said.

Police were also criticised over a search done in Auckland two days earlier, to check bags coming into New Zealand. Police found nothing of interest in the search.

Police were earlier also questioned over a search of Austen's Lower Hutt home.

Constable James Wikara was one of the officers who seized items from the house of Austen and her husband. He faced questioning from Austen’s lawyer about leaving behind exhibits by accident.

Police went back the next day to retrieve the items.

When questioned Constable Wikara admitted it was very lucky Austen and her husband kept the exhibits and didn’t get rid of them. He admitted it was very honest of them.

Another officer told the court about a search carried out on the car of Austen. Three police vehicles followed Austen to a reserve in Lower Hutt and seized items from the vehicle.

The court has also heard evidence from a vet who described the drug Pentobarbitone and what the Class C drug is used for in New Zealand.

Callum Irvine has 20 years of experience in the industry and told the court the drug is used to euthanise dogs, cats and small animals.

He said it's injected and is given as an overdose to repress respiratory systems and brain function.

The product is imported by vets in a liquid form, with a bittering agent and blue or green dye put in to deter it from being taken.

The trial will hear from 31 Crown witnesses. The Crown is expected to finish tomorrow.

It comes as submissions close tomorrow for David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill.

The ACT party leader has today launched a social media campaign as a final push on the bill. The campaign includes videos of people suffering from a terminal illness.

Last week Family First, which is against euthanasia, made a formal to Parliament calling for the submission deadline to be extended as it claimed Parliament's email system was crashing from being overwhelmed by submissions.

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