Travis Blake Damon jailed for attempting to transport $10,000 of marijuana to Whyalla

A drug dealer tried to shift the blame to his friend after police uncovered them attempting to transport kilos of marijuana across South Australia.

Two men who attempted to transport over 2kg of drugs across South Australia came undone when police smelled the undeniable scent of weed coming from their car.

Travis Blake Damon’s last ditch attempt to shift the blame to his friend for the illegal operation ended in a jail sentence.

The Adelaide District Court heard a car which Damon, 40, was a passenger of was stopped by police on the Augusta Highway at Bungama on July 29, 2020.

Police noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the car and searched it.

They found six plastic bags containing a total of 2.578kg of marijuana.

The court heard the marijuana was valued between $7200 to $10,000, depending on how it was sold.

The driver, Gary Kroon pleaded guilty to large commercial drug trafficking and was sentenced on the basis that he agreed to drive Damon from Whyalla to Adelaide and back to obtain the marijuana.

“Mr Kroon contended that he was to be paid $50 and given half an ounce of cannabis for his role, but he maintained that the cannabis was yours,” Judge Julie McIntyre said during sentencing.

Damon reversed the roles and gave evidence at trial that Kroon was the one selling drugs and he accompanied him to Adelaide in return for some marijuana.

Despite messages being found on his tablet that showed Damon was selling marijuana to a number of people prior to the offending, he told the court he lent the tablet to Kroon and the messages were from him.

The jury rejected the evidence.

Damon, of Whyalla Norrie, was found guilty at trial of commercial drug trafficking but acquitted of the more serious charge of large commercial drug trafficking.

Travis Damon was jailed for commercial drug trafficking. Photo: File

The court heard Damon had previously worked as a butcher and for roofing contractors.

The court heard Damon was the victim of a serious home invasion and assault in 2016, which left him with epilepsy and partial blindness in one eye.

“You turned to the use of marijuana as a form of self medication,” Judge McIntyre said.

“You did not realise until recently how addicted you were.”

The court heard Damon had undertaken a rehabilitation program and significantly reduced his marijuana intake.

Judge McIntyre sentenced Damon to four years and three month jail, with a non-parole period of two years and two months.

“You knew that it was illegal to sell cannabis in this state and your activities went far beyond what was necessary to supply your medical needs,” she said.

“It is clear from the messages on your tablet that you were trading for profit.”

The sentence was backdated to August 15.