AUCKLAND, New Zealand – A judge has refused to drop firearms charges against adult industry entrepreneur and Auckland mayoral candidate Steve Crow.
The 50-year-old adult entertainment mogul appeared in Waitakere District Court last week on six firearms related charges, including two for discharging a firearm near a house, two for unlawfully possessing a firearm and two for carrying a weapon.
According to a recent report, Crow allegedly fired the two pistols while visiting a friend’s farm in August 2006.
“I did some target practice on a mate's farm,” Crow told the Dominion Post. “[Police] alleged a sheep had been shot ... but it died of natural causes. They had a vet examine it and he couldn't say what it died of. It is the last time I'll cooperate with police. It doesn't pay.”
Crow’s lawyer, Guyon Foley, tried to make a plea deal with the judge to avoid conviction, but it was denied. The judge did offer to ensure that a different magistrate would preside over Crow’s next hearing so there wasn’t any perceived prejudice.
Foley told the Dominion Post that his client was a genuine gun collector and had been delivering the pistols to a buyer at the time of the incident.
A date for the hearing will be set this week.
