Cairns MDMA dealer supplied more than 100 customers in Cairns nightclubs – including undercover police officers

An ecstasy dealer working the Cairns city nightclub scene has found his third time in court on drug charges not to be such a lucky one.

When Joshua David Hatton’s Caravonica home was searched by police they found an MDMA dealing ‘work table’ with larger and more pure amounts of the drug in among clip-seal bags, empty gel capsules and packaged amounts.

A Caravonica windscreen repairer who supplied MDMA inside Cairns nightclubs to more than 100 customers – including two undercover police officers – has found his third appearance in court on drug charges not to be such a lucky one.

Joshua David Hatton, 24, pleaded guilty in the Cairns Supreme Court to trafficking MDMA, supplying cannabis, possessing cocaine and possessing tainted money.

This week, his third time in court over drug matters, Justice James Henry sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment, remarking that his continued drug dealing was “remarkably stupid”, given that Hatton had “a few warning shots across the bow from the criminal justice system”.

The court was told Hatton supplied MDMA between June 2023 and November 2023 inside Cairns nightspots including Gilligan’s and to patrons of the Party Bus.

Hatton sold MDMA at Cairns nightclubs, including supplying undercover police officers at Gilligan’s on three occasions.

Crown prosecutor Claudia Georgouras said Hatton’s bank statements showed he had at least 114 customers depositing money into his account for $25 tabs of ecstasy, including 11 regulars and someone who called themselves “Bilbo Baggins”.

More than $15,000 worth of deals passed through his bank account, Ms Georgouras said.

Hatton used Snapchat and mostly sold amounts of between one and 10 tabs at a time and, “unsurprisingly”, was busier on weekends, the court was told.

When the police searched Hatton’s Caravonica home in November 2023, they found a “work station” with four grams of granular MDMA, empty gel capsules, clip-seal bags, and cut and packaged bags of MDMA tabs.

Hatton used Snapchat to communicate with customers and mostly sold amounts of between one and 10 tabs, the court was told.

Defence barrister Tim Grau said Hatton had worked since the age of 15 in hospitality and, more recently, windscreen repair.

He said Hatton used some of his drug money to assist his family, particularly his father who had been undergoing cancer treatment for several years.

“His intention is to stay out of that drug community and return to work at the end of this,” Mr Grau told the court.

Justice Henry said that, although Hatton was still a young man, his offending and persistence in the face of multiple chances to make a change, warranted a jail term.

Justice James Henry sentenced Joshua David Hatton, 24, to three years’ jail for trafficking MDMA, with a parole release date of February 27, 2026.

He was caught supplying ecstasy in Gilligan’s nightclub in 2021 and was again in possession of drugs in 2023, the court was told.

“You were out dealing in MDMA one night and were caught in the act. You got sentenced and received a pretty generous penalty,” Justice Henry said.

“Having been convicted once, then again, you set about doing exactly the same thing that got you in trouble in the district court … you made the foolish decision to continue.

“You were in it for the easy money and a degree of cache with this crowd, dealing in drugs for the party crowd of this town.”

Justice Henry set Hatton’s parole release date at February 27, 2026.

Originally published as Cairns MDMA dealer supplied more than 100 customers in Cairns nightclubs – including undercover police officers