501 deportee Peter Uelese’s cocaine sentence upheld by Court of Appeal

Open Justice reporter·NZ Herald·13 Sep, 2026 07:00 AM6 mins to read‌Peter Uelese appears for sentencing in the High Court in Blenheim in 2022 following a mass brawl in which a seasonal worker died. Uelese went on to get involved a major cocaine operation and claims he was preyed upon because of his drug addiction. Photo / Tracy NealSeparated from his six children and thousands of kilometres from the life he once knew, a 501 deportee says he fell in with other “501ers” who ultimately drew him into a major cocaine operation. Peter Uelese told the Court of Appeal he was used and that his addiction was preyed