A Fonterra manager who provided a young employee with beer laced with a lethal dose of methamphetamine has been sentenced to 21 years in prison. The victim’s family described the tragedy as a “nightmare that never ends.”
Himatjit “Jimmy” Kahlon, 42, was found guilty in October 2024 by a jury in the High Court at Auckland for manslaughter and possession of methamphetamine for supply. His actions led to the death of 21-year-old Aiden Sagala, who died on March 7, 2023, after unknowingly consuming the drug-laced beer.
The methamphetamine was hidden inside cans of Honey Bear beer and imported as part of a larger drug smuggling operation. The beer was stored in a rented warehouse in Manukau and distributed by Kahlon to friends, family, and colleagues at Fonterra. Sagala consumed one of the contaminated cans, resulting in a fatal overdose.
Justice Kiri Tahana, who sentenced Kahlon in the High Court today, emphasized the gravity of his involvement in the methamphetamine operation, which included importing between 628 and 741 kilograms of the drug. Kahlon was aware of the operation’s dangerous nature, even though he did not know that the specific cans he handed out contained methamphetamine.
“You knew that many of the Honey Bear cans contained methamphetamine because you were involved with the extraction process,” Justice Tahana said. “Giving trays of beer away when you knew they were part of a methamphetamine operation was extremely dangerous.”
In court, Sagala’s mother, Lila, emotionally recounted the devastating impact of her son’s death. “Burying my own child is a pain I hope no parent ever has to endure… Aiden’s absence is felt in every moment. There will always be an empty chair at the table, a missing piece of our hearts,” she said.
Sagala’s father, Ma’a, also addressed the court, his voice filled with sorrow as he described the emotional and financial toll of losing his son. “Aiden was my only son, and he was meant to carry my family name. Aiden was everything to me. Only God knows my heart… Aiden was more than just my son,” he said.
The court also heard from Aiden’s sister, Angela, who described the overwhelming grief that has affected the entire family. “That one act of recklessness shattered my family forever. I remember that day like a nightmare that never ends,” she said.
Kahlon’s defense lawyer, Emma Priest, argued that her client did not know the beer contained methamphetamine and had been manipulated by his co-defendant—an unnamed businessman who also faced charges related to the methamphetamine operation. Kahlon, she claimed, was devastated by the tragic loss and would live with the consequences for the rest of his life.
However, the court found that Kahlon’s actions were criminally reckless, and Justice Tahana imposed a 21-year prison sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years. Kahlon was also acquitted of one charge of possession of cocaine for supply.
Kahlon’s co-defendant, a well-known businessman who cannot be named due to legal suppression, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the operation, which involved the importation of nearly 700kg of methamphetamine and significant amounts of cocaine.
This case highlights the severe consequences of illicit drug trafficking and the devastating impact of one reckless act on an entire family.
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