Derryn Abela granted home detention bail, charged with commercial drug trafficking
A tradie is accused of cooking and dealing drugs after police found large quantities of meth and cocaine in a storage unit he was spotted visiting several times.
North & North East
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A man will be able to support his wife with their first child after police allegedly linked him to a storage unit filled with large quantities of drugs.
Derryn John Abela, 31, applied for home detention bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with drug trafficking after a police investigation.
His co-accused, Kenan-Salih Kopic, 34, was granted home detention bail last week.
A police prosecutor opposed all forms of bail, due to the seriousness of the allegations.
“This relates to a large quantity of drugs being located … suggesting a high level of involvement in the drug trafficking trade,” the police prosecutor said.
Andrew Culshaw, for Abela, told the court the charges would be contested.
“The case against Mr Abela is circumstantial,” he said.
The court heard police found a large commercial quantity of methamphetamine, precursors for manufacturing methamphetamine and cocaine in a Holden Hill storage unit on November 24.
“The extent of the link between Mr Abela and that storage unit is that he attended the storage unit,” Mr Culshaw said.
“His car, on the prosecution case, had been there on three occasions, all some weeks before the discovery of the drugs.”
Mr Culshaw said there was no forensic evidence matching Abela to the storage unit but Kopic’s fingerprints were allegedly found there.
Police then searched a Modbury North property on November 26 and found methamphetamine in a retaining wall and drug equipment.
“There is no suggestion that Mr Abela lives there … the extent of the connection between him and that case is a fingerprint on a shopping bag inside,” Mr Culshaw said.
Kopic, of Windsor Gardens, and Abela, of Highbury, are charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking and manufacturing a controlled drug.
Mr Culshaw said Abela works as an electrician.
“He is married … she’s (his wife) pregnant and due to give birth to their child in about four months,” he said.
“Mr Abela is the sole provider and she’s had some health issues during the pregnancy.”
Mr Culshaw said a trial could take some time to be scheduled due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Magistrate Roderick Jensen granted Abela home detention bail, with a condition not to speak to Kopic.
The charges were adjourned until July.
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