Property funded by cannabis, police say

Otago Daily Times

28-07-2025

A Central Otago beauty-clinic owner has had her $1.4 million home frozen after allegedly benefiting from her dead partner's drug crimes.
The High Court has restrained the Tarras property and a vehicle of Wendy Maree Davison under criminal-proceeds legislation after police claimed Clinton Lee Forman made cash deposits of $156,784 to her bank account between 2017 and 2024, allegedly the result of significant cannabis offending.
Davison is listed in company records as the sole director and shareholder of Wanaka's Revive Beauty Therapy Ltd.
Company documents listed her as living at the three-bedroom Tarras address on 8ha of land, bought in 2022 for $1.4m, which is now under the control of the Official Assignee.
A real-estate listing billed the home as 'the perfect place to unwind with the amazing Central Otago mountain ranges and blue skies that provide ever-changing picturesque scenes".
An online advertisement raved about the open-plan kitchen complete with granite benches and polished concrete floors, the double garage, four-bay shed, sleepout and 'a stunning mini-orchard with a variety of fruit".
Davison told the Otago Daily Times she would only discuss the matter once the court case had been resolved.
On April 18, 2023, police executed a search warrant at Davison's address where they found two mature cannabis plants and 'a quantity of white crystals", Detective Constable Kelsey Morgan wrote in an affidavit.
The same day, officers also raided two other homes associated with the couple and found significant quantities of the class-C drug.
There was also cannabis in Forman's vehicle, the court heard.
While he acknowledged 'some involvement in selling cannabis" when interviewed by police, Davison denied any knowledge of a large-scale drug operation.
Forman was ultimately prosecuted but the proceedings against him were stayed in July last year following his death three months earlier.
Police's review of the couple's financial transactions showed $313,359 of cash deposits into their respective accounts — split almost exactly in half.
Of the $156,784 banked into Davison's personal and business accounts, Det Const Kelsey Morgan said some had 'the characteristics of money laundering".
She gave the example of six deposits made over 15 minutes on March 23, 2020, totaling $8000.
There was evidence of cash transfers from Forman to Davison to make mortgage payments, police argued.
She consented to the restraining order but whether the assets would be forfeited to the Crown would be argued later.
Justice Rob Osborne said there were reasonable grounds to believe Forman and Davison benefitted from significant criminal activity and that the assets could be classified as "tainted property".
Under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act a person has unlawfully benefited from significant criminal activity if they have knowingly, directly or indirectly, derived a benefit from that activity, whether or not they were involved.
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