Brenton Skanes sentenced to seven year limiting term for SA’s largest LSD seizure

A schizophrenic who tried to smuggle SA’s largest LSD seizure into the state – worth up to $699,000 – has been released into the community with supervision.

A man who purchased 20,000 LSD tabs over the dark web has been released into the community on licence.

Brenton Mackenzie Skanes, 21, was found mentally unfit to stand trial for his “well planned operation,” due to his chronic form of schizophrenia.

The Adelaide District Court on Tuesday heard Skanes attempted to import 19,998 tabs of lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, which he had purchased over the dark web.

A prosecutor told the court the value of the hallucinogenic drugs were estimated between $499,950 to $699,130 if sold individually or $180,000 to almost $300,000 if sold in lots of 100.

Brenton Mackenzie Skanes was sentenced to a seven year limiting term for trafficking in a commercial quantity of LSD. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“It seems apparent that the drugs were sourced over the dark web and that they came from the Netherlands,” the prosecutor said.

Skanes arranged to have the tickets mailed to an address in the Adelaide CBD but the package was intercepted and the tickets were removed.

Skanes was arrested when he went to collect the parcel on July 3, 2019.

The court heard during a search of Skanes’ bedroom, police found marijuana, press sealed bags, a vacuum sealer and luxury items, including a Louis Vuitton bag.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Crameri said at the time of Skanes’ arrest, it was the largest seizure of this drug in SA.

The court heard Skanes suffers from a chronic form of schizophrenia, which is largely treatment resistant to medication.

James Caldicott, for Skanes, told the court there was a lack of evidence of how the drugs came into Australia.

“And whether or not my client was the sole person involved … given the alternate names and given the travel through other states,” he said.

Mr Caldicott said it couldn’t be determined whether it was a “top of the range, commercial kingpin-esque type situation” or Skanes had obtained the large amount for trafficking, as well as for his own use.

Skanes, of Marion, was found mentally unfit to stand trial by Judge Joanne Tracey in October on a charge of commercial drug trafficking.

In the Adelaide District Court on Tuesday, Judge Tracey imposed a limiting term of seven years and 11 months – a period equal to the prison sentence a well offender would have received for the same offence.

“You involved yourself in what has been described as a well planned operation,” she said.

She released Skanes into the community on licence, with a supervision order.