Wayne Stevens jailed for supplying drugs to a child at Nailsworth

A lonely man who worked at two Adelaide schools supplied a boy with drugs on almost a daily basis and didn’t stop even after being confronted by the boy’s mother.

A drug dealer who supplied a child with drugs for free to continue their friendship had a “devastating effect” on the addicted boy and his family.

Wayne Derek Stevens, 57, didn’t stop his “heinous” offending even after being confronted by the victim’s mother.

The court heard the victim, who was aged 16 at the time, met Stevens through mutual friends around March, 2020.

“The victim started visiting your house in Nailsworth and you would provide him with methamphetamine, cannabis and cigarettes,” Judge Joana Fuller said during sentencing.

“The victim would smoke the drugs at your house and he often took Snapchat photographs and videos on his iPad of himself doing so.”

The court heard the victim, who had an existing drug addiction, said he would go to Stevens’ house daily, except when he was in rehabilitation.

After the victim was hospitalised for drug induced psychosis, he told his mother Stevens had been supplying him drugs.

“She went to your house twice and confronted you, asking you not to let her son in the house and not to give him any more drugs,” Judge Fuller said.

Despite his promise not to do so, Stevens continued to supply the victim drugs.

Police attended at Stevens’ house in December, 2020 and found 22.1g of methamphetamine, 196g of fantasy, $18,720 in a safe, plastic resealable bags and tick lists.

The court heard the methamphetamine had a street value of up to $27,700 if sold by the point, while the fantasy had a value of $984.

Supplied Editorial Wayne Stevens was jailed for supplying drugs to a child. Photo: Facebook

Stevens, of Nailsworth, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and supplying drugs to a child.

The court heard Stevens breached a suspended sentence for drug trafficking with this offending.

The court heard Stevens’ offending had a “devastating effect” on the victim and his family.

“The victim was young and vulnerable … and you contributed to that ongoing addiction,” Judge Fuller said.

The court heard Stevens had completed a diploma in Information Technology at TAFE and worked at Seaton High School and Ocean View College for several years.

The employment terminated once his employer became aware of his criminal history.

Judge Fuller said Stevens was not supplying drugs to the child for any sinister motive.

“Put simply and quite sadly, you supplied those drugs for the benefit of what you thought was an ongoing friendship,” she said.

“Your offending perpetuated his addiction by providing him with a free of charge source of drugs.”

Judge Fuller said she accepted Stevens was a street level dealer selling to fund his own methamphetamine addiction.

Adding on Stevens’ revoked suspended sentence, Judge Fuller sentenced him to five years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and six months.

“It is plainly a heinous crime to supply drugs to children,” she said.

The sentence was backdated to December 24, 2020.