Brett Cugley and Graham Glover pleaded guilty to Davoren Park meth lab

A sophisticated clandestine lab was discovered in the northern suburbs after a man claimed to police he had been coerced into cooking methamphetamine under threat.

Two meth cooks were caught after police saw them leaving an address where a clandestine lab was located in the shed.

Brett Matthew Cugley, 37, and Graham Christian Anthony Glover, 39, pleaded guilty in the District Court this week to running the northern suburbs meth lab.

During a bail application in July last year, the court heard Cugley’s home was searched on March 21, 2021 and police found just over 39g of methamphetamine, tick lists, multiple phones, and plastic resealable bags.

He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in April in relation to that offending.

Brett Cugley pleaded guilty to manufacturing a controlled drug. Photo: Facebook

Graham Glover pleaded guilty to the same charge. Picture: Facebook

The court heard the alleged victim of a withdrawn blackmail charge then called police in August 2021 and informed that he had been coerced into cooking methamphetamine under threat.

The man gave police a Davoren Park address where he said methamphetamine manufacturing was taking place.

“They observed both the applicant and the co-accused Mr Glover leaving that address,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard Cugley was found in possession of a notebook containing handwritten instructions on how to manufacture methamphetamine, as well as a list of chemicals and diagrams on how to set up prescribed equipment.

“That Davoren Park address was searched and a clandestine methamphetamine lab was located in the rear shed,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard Cugley’s DNA was found on a pair of gloves.

Cugley and Glover, both of Fairview Park, pleaded guilty to manufacturing a controlled drug for sale.

Stacey Carter, for Cugley, told the court during his bail application the alleged victim of the withdrawn blackmail charge was the “mastermind” behind the methamphetamine lab.

“The only reason he suggested that he was doing it under threat was because he was concerned he was going to be arrested,” she said.

The court heard Cugley had two young children with special needs.

On Wednesday, Tim Clarke, for Glover, asked the court to order a pre-sentence report for his client.

“In short, he has been on home detention for a very long time and has done very well both in terms of his compliance but also his efforts at rehabilitation,” he said.

The men’s charges were adjourned until November for sentencing submissions.