Matthew Van Linh Burton applied for review of bail, charged with drug trafficking after northern suburbs bust
A father-of-four was arrested alongside his nurse girlfriend and others after he knocked on the door of a house police were searching with a significant alleged meth stash.
North & North East
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A man alleged to be the supplier to multiple men after a huge drug haul in a suburban home has pleaded for bail to help his co-accused partner with their four children.
Matthew Van Linh Burton, 37, applied for a review of bail in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, after police allegedly seized a hoard of drugs and thousands of dollars in cash.
A prosecutor told the court they were opposed to all forms of bail.
During Mr Burton’s unsuccessful bail bid last month, the court heard police attended a Salisbury Park address on November 2.
Police say they found a cannabis oil laboratory and about 2L of fantasy.
As a result, Steven de Winter, 38, Darryl O’Connell, 43, and Scott Coy, 33, all of Salisbury Park, were charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking.
It is alleged Mr Burton knocked on the door while police were searching the house, and they found 150g of methamphetamine, a fake driver’s licence and two mobile phones on him.
They also searched his car and found $11,745 and a cryovac bag containing 250g of methamphetamine, the court was told.
Police then searched Mr Burton’s Salisbury North address and allegedly located buprenorphine strips, 5g of heroin and two cannabis plants being grown hydroponically.
The court heard Mr Burton’s long-term partner, Stephanie Watmore and their children were home during the search.
Mr Burton, of Salisbury North, is charged with multiple offences, including commercial drug trafficking and money laundering.
Ms Watmore, a registered nurse, is also charged with drug trafficking.
A prosecutor told the Supreme Court on Tuesday there appeared to be a high level of commerciality in Mr Burton’s offending.
“The photographs and videos depict Burton and Watmore engaging in suspected drug activity together at the address, including the possession and consumption of suspected illicit substances,” the prosecutor said.
“The accused clearly has access to a large volume of drugs … and clearly has access to a large sum of cash.”
The court heard the total value of the drugs found was between $115,000 to $185,000.
“Given the family circumstances, if the allegations are correct then the possession of that sort of money and those sorts of drugs is very hard to explain, basically where do they come from?” asked Justice Kevin Nicholson.
Benjamin Armstrong, for Mr Burton, told the court Ms Watmore was struggling to care for their four children without him, as she suffers from numerous medical conditions.
The court heard Mr Burton’s family could offer $15,000 cash surety for his release and he would have work at a restaurant available to him.
Mr Armstrong said some of the charges against Mr Burton were “ambitious” and there were questions about the legalities of the search.
Justice Nicholson reserved his decision until next week.
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