Jesse Cochrane pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking as part of alleged syndicate
A tattooed man has failed to have his case thrown out after police allege he was the delivery driver for a “sophisticated” drug syndicate.
Police & Courts
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An alleged drug courier has failed to have his charge thrown out after police say they found 10 ounces of methamphetamine at his co-accused’s house.
Jesse McLeod Cochrane, 31, pleaded not guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court this week to being the alleged drug syndicate’s delivery driver.
The court heard Mr Cochrane was captured on CCTV attending a McDonald’s car park on October 18, 2022.
His co-accused, Zoe Peta Tsouris, was seen entering the same car park shortly after, with the cars then leaving at the same time.
The court heard 10 ounces of meth found in a McDonald’s bag was seized from Ms Tsouris’ Bolivar residence two days later.
A prosecutor told the court Mr Cochrane was alleged to be a drug delivery driver as arranged by his co-accused John Xydis and another suppressed man.
The court previously heard the suppressed man was operating the “sophisticated” drug syndicate at “an arm’s length”, while Mr Xydis was the “middle man” in the operation.
The prosecutor said while the case against Mr Cochrane was circumstantial, they relied on evidence from telephone intercepts and listening devices where it could be inferred Mr Cochrane was given directions from his co-accused to deliver the drugs.
Andrew Moffa, for Mr Cochrane, said his client’s case was speculative and the prosecution evidence was “quantity rather than quality”.
“There is, we say, no evidence of possession at all,” he said.
Mr Moffa said there was a blind spot in the CCTV so there was no evidence of Mr Cochrane possessing any drugs in the McDonald’s carpark, or of him being involved in the criminal enterprise.
Chief Magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, ruled there was enough of a case to answer and Mr Cochrane pleaded not guilty to commercial drug trafficking.
The suppressed man, Mr Xydis and Ms Tsouris have also pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking.
The group will appear in the District Court for arraignment in April.
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