Dylan Athey pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine after high-speed police chase
A relentless dealer who dumped a backpack full of drugs after a high-speed police pursuit turned to selling meth to support his significant addiction, a court heard.
South
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A persistent dealer who fled from police after a high-speed chase was caught with over $30,000 of meth after he was arrested, a court heard.
Dylan Andrew John Athey, 33, was using up to $1000 of drugs a day and turned to trafficking again to fund his substantial addiction.
Athey was arrested after police spotted him on a motorbike travelling south with no registration plates on April 1, 2021.
PolAir picked up the bike riding along Beach Road at high speeds.
Athey eventually pulled over at Seaford Meadows, before running from police and dumping his backpack which contained drugs.’
A prosecutor told the court police found four resealable bags of “high purity” mixed methamphetamine, totalling 45.52g.
The court heard the value of the methamphetamine was between $22,760 and $34,155 if sold in points.
Athey, of Morphett Vale, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
He was previously sentenced to six months jail for the driving offences, which included riding disqualified and at a dangerous speed.
The court heard Athey had three prior convictions for drug trafficking, after he continued dealing methamphetamine while on bail in 2013 and 2014.
A prosecutor told the court at the time of those offences Athey was trafficking significant quantities of meth from his family house where his partner and children were living.
Stacey Carter, for Athey, told the court her client had been largely employed in the construction industry.
The court heard Athey had been using up to $1000 of drugs a day so had to resort to selling drugs on a fairly large scale to fund his habit.
“He does make it plain that his addiction was a lot greater than what he realised,” Ms Carter said.
Ms Carter said Athey had gained maturity and insight into his offending with age and wanted to overcome his addiction.
“Not all hope is lost,” she said.
“As he gets older he needs to be a role model for his children.”
Judge Liesl Kudelka will sentence Athey in May.
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