Innisfail meth supplier Jens Raymond Sugden coordinated drug drop with a digital location pin, court told

An Innisfail meth supplier used his mum’s house for small-scale supplies and dropped a digital pin to a Babinda location for a larger drop, Cairns Supreme Court has been told.

Jens Raymond Sugden, 42, supplied methylamphetamines on 15 occasions around Innisfail and Babinda.

A long-time Innisfail meth supplier who used his mum’s house to do deals and shared a digital location pin for a larger drug drop near Babinda has been sentenced in Cairns Supreme Court to three-and-a-half years’ jail.

Jens Raymond Sugden, 42, was busted mid-deal in June last year, the court was told, when police noticed the car of a wanted man at a house where he was, and stopped to investigate.

Crown prosecutor Matt Hancock said the police found more than 10 grams of meth in two bags hidden between couch cushions at the house, along with smaller quantities of meth, MDMA and $2300 in cash in the garden.

Jens Raymond Sugden pleaded guilty in Cairns Supreme Court to possessing and supplying methylamphetamines.

The mixture was found to be 74 per cent pure and contained 7.6 grams of meth alone, the court was told.

Sugden, whose phone was seized by police that day, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of supplying methylamphetamines, possessing more than two grams of meth, a second possessing drugs charge and possessing a thing used in a crime.

All the deals were discovered when his phone messages were analysed, the court was told.

“Over the course of six weeks, (Sugden) supplied four people on 15 separate occasions – with the total amount supplied 18.55 grams and $7740 of sales,” Mr Hancock said.

Convicted drug dealer Jens Raymond Sugden, 41, was behind the dropping of a digital location pin and drugs at Babinda, Cairns Supreme Court court was told at his sentencing.

The text messages showed he was mainly selling points from “the old girl’s house” — his mother’s — but on one occasion, he sent coordinates to an associate for a site near Babinda via a digital pin drop, where a half ounce, or 14 grams, was left in exchange for $5000, the court was told.

Sugden’s mother was not accused of any wrongdoing or knowledge of Sugden’s offending.

Justice James Henry was told he had sentenced Sugden several times before for similar offences.

Sugden’s drug-related criminal history began in 2018, the court was told.

Justice James Henry said Jens Raymond Sugden was “bringing the misery” of meth on others as well as feeding his own addiction.

“Against you is the fact that you keep doing it,” Justice Henry said.

“After a law-abiding existence, you took up meth – that’s all been said by me before ... and you keep on playing a part in pumping it back into the community – it means you’re bringing the misery back to others as well.

“You’ve been given every forewarning that you’ll continue to receive greater sentences if you keep on going and you keep on going.”

Justice Henry sentenced Sugden to three years and six months’ prison, and set his parole eligibility date at February 1, 2026, which takes into account the time Sugden had already spent in custody on remand.

Originally published as Innisfail meth supplier Jens Raymond Sugden coordinated drug drop with a digital location pin, court told