1080-blackmailer back in court, motivation uncloaked

The New Zealand businessman who threatened to contaminate baby formula with 1080 pesticide appeared in the High Court at Auckland on Monday for a disputed facts hearing.

He was financially motivated as prosecutor revealed.

Jeremy Kerr, the 60-year-old businessman presented in court and his name suppression lifted Monday. He was granted interim name suppression when he first appeared in the Manukau District Court in Auckland last year.

Kerr previously pleaded guilty to two charges of blackmail and admitted sending letters to Fonterra and Federated Farmers in November 2014, threatening to put 1080 pesticide in infant milk formula unless New Zealand ceased using the poison by March last year.

The threats were made public in March last year, resulted in infant formula being pulled from supermarket shelves and a police investigation involving 2,600 people.

New Zealand's top police officer announced that they had arrested Kerr last October.

Prosecutor Gordon told the High Court that Kerr wanted the government to ban 1080 which would have helped sales of a rival possum control poison, Feratox, for which he received royalties.

Kerr believed his own product would increase by 30 percent if 1080 wasn't used, Gordon said.

1080, also known as Sodium monofluoroacetate, is a poison used to protect New Zealand's native flora and fauna against introduced pests such as possums and ferrets. Its use has been controversial over the years with opponents saying it poisons native animals and contaminates the environment. Endit