Beau Symons pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale in a school zone

A young father was dealing meth while living directly across from a northern suburbs primary school, a court heard.

A drug dealer who lived directly across from a northern suburbs primary school was also caught with a gel blaster upon arrest, a court heard.

Beau James Symons, 28, awaits his fate from custody after he turned to heavy drug use to deal with the trauma of losing his father.

During sentencing submissions, the District Court heard Symons was caught with 5.46g of methamphetamine and a gel blaster rifle on August 23, last year.

Emma St Clair, for the prosecution, told the court the legislation aimed to protect children who are attending school in the school zone from drugs, crime and those affected by drugs.

“The defendant’s home address was directly across from the front of Blakeview Primary School,” she said.

Beau Symons pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale in a school zone. Photo: Facebook

Ms St Clair said text messages, resealable plastic bags and scales suggested Symons was planning to sell a substantial portion of the drugs and was therefore motivated by profit.

The court heard the methamphetamine was worth up to $3750 if sold by the gram.

The father-of-two pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale in a school zone and possessing a firearm without a licence.

Raffaele Piccolo, for Symons, told the court some of the meth found was for his client’s personal use and the rest was to be sold to support his habit.

Mr Piccolo said the gel blaster was brought to Symon’s house by a friend a couple of days before his arrest and it was left behind.

The court heard Symons had been a drug user on occasion but his use escalated after his father passed away in 2021.

“On the passing of his father he turned to methamphetamine, he turned to cannabis and as Mr Symons instructed me, hit the drugs hard to deal with the trauma and passing of his father,” Mr Piccolo said.

The court heard Symons planned to move to Victoria to work in traffic management once released from custody and cut ties with negative associates to help with his rehabilitation.

Mr Piccolo said there was no suggestion Mr Symons attended at the school to sell drugs there.

Symons will be sentenced next week.