Matthew Van Linh Burton pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after northern suburbs bust
It’s been a busy year for Matthew Burton. He was arrested, fought for bail, got married and now is likely to remain behind bars after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.
North & North East
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An alleged drug supplier has admitted his guilt after he was caught red-handed with a large shipment of meth outside a house police were searching.
Matthew Van Linh Burton, 37, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday to two counts of commercial drug trafficking and one count of money laundering and drug trafficking.
All charges were withdrawn against Burton’s partner and registered nurse, Stephanie Leigh Watmore, 31, in March.
Burton was released on home detention bail to his mother’s address in January and the couple wasted no time celebrating Burton’s freedom by getting married the same weekend.
However, in court on Wednesday Burton was back in custody.
During Burton’s bail bid in December, the court heard police attended a Salisbury Park address on November 2.
As a result, Steven de Winter, 38, Darryl O’Donnell, 43, and Scott Coy, 33, all of Salisbury Park, were charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking.
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.
Police then searched Burton’s Salisbury North address and located buprenorphine strips, 5g of heroin and two cannabis plants being grown hydroponically.
Ms Watmore and their children were home during the search.
During Burton’s successful bail review in January, a prosecutor told the Supreme Court there appeared to be a high level of commerciality in his offending.
“The accused clearly has access to a large volume of drugs … and clearly has access to a large sum of cash,” the prosecutor said.
The court heard the total value of the drugs found was between $115,000 to $185,000.
Mr O’Donnell has pleaded not guilty to all his charges, while Mr Coy and Mr de Winter will face court again next month to enter their pleas.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Brian Nitschke committed Burton to the District Court for arraignment in October.
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