Rodney Stevens
A Nimbin man who allegedly videoed more than 500 cannabis plants and posted it on Facebook, and has repeatedly been refused bail in the local court, is seeking to be released by the Supreme Court.
Still refusing to accept his name, Peter Till wore an eye patch over his right eye when he appeared in Lismore Local Court on Tuesday via videolink from prison and represented himself.
‘I am and I am aware I am sovereign,’ Mr Till told the court.
‘Mr Till,’ Magistrate David Heilpern asked.
‘No, I’m not Mr Till,’ he replied.
‘What do you want me to call you?’ Mr Heilpern asked.
‘I am sovereign, Australian people are sovereign,’ Mr Till loudly protested.
Mr Till previously told the court if he didn’t smoke cannabis he would go blind, and claimed to have a letter from his doctor stating this.
‘The doctor says that if do not have access to cannabis I am harmed,’ he said.
‘Because I can’t access cannabis my eyesight is deteriorating and I am being harmed.’
The 49 year-old is charged with cultivating a prohibited plant, supplying a prohibited plant and two counts of supplying a prohibited drug, following a raid by police on his Lodge Road, Mountain Top property, on March 22.
The court previously heard the motivation for the raid was a video showing some of the 512 plants at various stages of maturity seized by police, which he posted on his Facebook page.
Following his arrest, Mr Till was refused bail, but then granted conditional bail last month when a neighbour agreed to the conditions set by the court.
Then, the day after his release Mr Till allegedly breached his bail by posting ‘Had heaps of cannabis in town today’ on Facebook and he was arrested.
On Tuesday, Mr Heilpern again offered Mr Till the opportunity to apply for bail and following a period of him talking loudly, a male friend spoke for him.
‘He’s probably the most honest man I know,’ the man said.
‘He is doing this for protest reasons.’
‘He believes he has a right to grow and use this medicine, as he calls it.’
The man told the court Mr Till could live with him at Dyraaba if granted bail.
The court heard transcripts of the search warrant, a transcript of the Facebook video, and a police statement were required to complete the brief of evidence.
Mr Heilpern ordered the brief of evidence to served on the defence by June 13, and adjourned Mr Till’s matters until June 30, for reply to the brief.
When Mr Heilpern formally refused Mr Till bail, the court heard he was listed to apply for bail before the Supreme Court on June 6.
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