Blake Andrew Gleeson to be sentenced for trafficking 4kg of marijuana

A man who sparked a police chase before hiding in some shrubs with 4kg of weed offered up a “load of malarkey” for what he was doing with it, a court has heard.

A father who sparked a police chase was found hiding in some shrub in a desperate bid to keep his commercial drug enterprise hidden.

Blake Andrew Gleeson, 29, will learn his fate later this month after his creative attempts to hide a significant amount of weed were quickly foiled by police.

James Pearce QC, for the prosecution, told the court during Gleeson’s trial in the Port Augusta District Court in June a police officer was conducting speed control duties between Pirie and Port Augusta on May 26, 2020.

Gleeson was driving a silver Commodore when he overtook the unmarked police car at 140km/h.

The police officer gave chase and Gleeson evaded him.

However, officers eventually found him hiding in some shrubs on a stranger’s property in Port Paterson.

They followed footprints to some bushes and trees where they found a bag of marijuana hidden.

“The bag had some debris, some dirt and some leaf material and plants and sticks thrown on top of it,” Mr Pearce said.

The court heard the bag contained 4.43kg of marijuana in 10 separate vacuum-sealed packages and was valued between $20,000 to $25,000.

Police then went to Gleeson’s Port Pirie house and found a vacuum heat-sealing machine and a grow room.

Sally Burgess, for Gleeson, told the court on the day of the offending he was travelling from Port Pirie to Port Augusta to see his mate after picking up the marijuana in Adelaide.

The court heard half of the marijuana was for his own use, as he was a heavy user, and the other half was to be given to his friend to “repay a favour”.

Ms Burgess said Gleeson didn’t want to keep it at his house because he had two children living with him.

Blake Gleeson was found guilty at trial of large commercial drug trafficking. Picture: iStock

The Solomontown father was found guilty at trial of large commercial drug trafficking.

During sentencing submissions in the Adelaide District Court, Ms Burgess pushed for a suspended sentence.

“Having had a short sharp shock, he has experienced custody, taken a dislike to it and then set about on a positive course of rehabilitation,” she said.

The court heard Gleeson’s partner was pregnant and he had ceased drug use.

However, Mr Pearce said an immediate jail term was the only appropriate penalty.

“There was a load of malarkey served up to a jury about why he had the drugs and how he had them,” he said.

“We still don’t know anything about the true nature of his drug dealing.”

Judge Paul Cuthbertson will sentence Gleeson later this month.