Drug dealer Benjamin Thomas Cairns jailed after being caught with meth and fantasy in Mount Gambier

A dealer caught with significant amounts of meth and fantasy went on the run before finally being found hidden in his girlfriend’s garage.

A dealer who was caught with over $30,000 of meth and cash he claimed was from pokie winnings has been jailed for over four years.

Benjamin Thomas Cairns, 28, was on the run and being hidden by his girlfriend in her garage when police finally caught up to him.

During sentencing, the District Court heard police attended Cairns’ partner’s house to speak with him in May 2021.

They found 35.69g of mixed methamphetamine and 39 buprenorphine films, 1,4-Butanediol, steroids and $1,920 in cash.

“You told police that the money had been won playing poker machines,” Judge Rauf Soulio said.

Benjamin Cairns pleaded guilty to trafficking a large amount of methamphetamine. Photo: Courts SA

The cash found. Photo: Courts SA

Some of the fantasy found. Photo: Courts SA

The court heard police stopped Cairns four days later and searched his car, finding 37.84 gm of mixed methamphetamine, 88.3g of 1,4- Butanediol, 14 buprenorphine strips and $851.

The court heard the total methamphetamine was valued between $26,191 and $30,390 and the total fantasy was worth between $504 and $1764.

Cairns was granted home detention bail for the offending in August 2021.

The court heard Cairns cut off his home detention bracelet in May 2022 and absconded to Victoria.

Benjamin Cairns was wanted for breaching his home detention bail. Photo: SAPOL

Cairns, of Mount Gambier, pleaded guilty to three counts of drug trafficking.

Cairns’ partner, Emily Jane Gray, 22, was sentenced last month for assisting him evade police in Mount Gambier.

Emily Jane Gray was sentenced to a good behaviour bond. Picture: Supplied.

The court heard during a large manhunt for Cairns on April 11, 2022 Gray told police she was “adamant” he was not at her home, preventing them from searching the property.

“She initially refused entry to the place shortly after police attended the address with a warrant – and located (Cairns) hiding in a garage,” a police prosecutor said.

Gray pleaded guilty to hindering police and was handed a six-month behaviour bond with a conviction recorded.

During sentencing submissions in May, the court heard Cairns, who commenced drug use in his teenage years, was under the influence of methamphetamine when he absconded.

Benjamin Cairns pleaded guilty to drug trafficking. Photo: Facebook

He was jailed for over four years. Photo: Facebook

“A close friend of Mr Cairns’ was killed in a motor vehicle accident and he says that his methamphetamine use at that junction escalated,” Tessa Hume, for Cairns, said.

The court heard Cairns had previously worked as a concreter and was the father to a seven-year-old son.

The court heard Cairns planned to stay at a live-in rehabilitation centre once released to get on top of his drug addiction.

Judge Soulio sentenced Cairns to four years and three months, with a non-parole period of two years.

“As you will be aware from your own experience, methamphetamines are dangerous, insidious drugs which cause great harm in the community,” he said.

The sentence was backdated to August 21, 2022.