An Auckland police officer jailed for
stealing drugs from an evidence locker to give to his informant lover
has been released on parole.
July 22, 2016
A former police officer jailed for stealing methamphetamine from an evidence locker has been released from prison after serving less than half his sentence.
Michael Blowers was sentenced to four years and nine months behind bars in December 2014 after admitting stealing and supplying the drugs to his informant lover, but was released on parole this month.
Blowers was a detective at Whangarei when he became involved in a relationship with the female informant, who cannot be named.
He provided her with methamphetamine stolen from the police station's evidence locker and, the Crown argued, pressured the woman to pay him for it.
Blowers tried to justify it by saying he did it out of fear and to protect his family from threats by gangs.
The NZ Parole Board in deciding to release Blowers found he was a low risk of re-offending.
"As the sentencing judge noted, despite what Mr Blowers did and what was a huge fall from grace, he was genuinely remorseful for his offending," the board said in its findings.
Blowers will be required to undergo a psychological assessment and complete any recommended treatment.
His sentence is due to end in September 2019