Adelaide teenage drug dealer seeks to avoid life sentence, claims he did not import the 1kg of ecstasy he had for sale

A BOY, 16, facing a life sentence for starting his own drug trafficking racket with 1kg of ecstasy wants to take the stand in court and swear, under oath, he did not import the drugs himself.

Adelaide teenager “D”, 16, has admitted trafficking in almost 1kg of ecstasy but insists he did not arrange to import the drugs. Picture: File image.

• Teenager ‘imported 1kg of drugs to set up trafficking business’
• 16-year-old drug trafficker will be sentenced as an adult

A BOY facing a life sentence for starting his own drug trafficking racket with 1kg of ecstasy wants to take the stand in court and swear, under oath, he did not import the drugs himself.

On Monday, the District Court heard the case of the teenager, who is only being identified by the court as "D".

Defence counsel Justin Wickens asked that the boy, 16, be allowed to challenge allegations he was the sole beneficiary of his lucrative, illicit business.

He said psychological reports, police interviews and confidential Australian Federal Police intelligence had raised the possibility of “another person” playing a key role.

Mr Wickens said it was vital the court hear directly from the boy and, were he believed, impose a lesser penalty.

“(D) will give evidence ... the issue is that another person organised the importation and (D) did not,” he said.

“There was an agreement that (D) would accept parcels that were delivered to his home address.

“That is, of course, extremely important to the basis for sentencing and the seriousness of the offence ... we really do require (D) to give his evidence.”

In June, D pleaded guilty in the Youth Court to importing two parcels of MDMA, weighing 771.5g and 77.5g respectively, between June and July last year.

The weight of those drugs is 155 times the amount recognised as a marketable quantity under Australian law, and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He is the third Australian teenager to face such charges, following a boy who smuggled in 14g of heroin and another who sent for 65g of illicit drugs.

Because he committed a federal crime, D is exempt from the Young Offenders Act’s requirement his “care, protection and guidance” be prioritised over penalty.

That means he will serve a sentence of adult duration and severity.

Monday’s hearing was not the first time D’s counsel have argued their client played a lesser role in the trafficking business — they made similar claims in the Youth Court.

They were rejected after prosecutors revealed police found multiple bags of pills, $5000 cash and electronic scales — with a residue of ecstasy — in the boy’s car.

Prosecutors said D had performed Google searches on “how to launder money” and where to “buy 5kg of MDMA”, and written a Facebook status reading “I am a drug dealer”.

On Monday, Mr Wickens said there had been “further developments” since the Youth Court referred the case to the District Court for sentencing.

“As I understand it, there is a communication with the AFP that will give some background to the evidence (D) will give, as to why he will give that evidence,” he said.

John Clover, for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, said he had wanted to discuss that in a closed court “but the moment has passed”.

Judge Paul Rice agreed to hear D’s testimony, and remanded him on continuing bail until December.

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