Steven Paul Gordon in court for drug trafficking

A young drug dealer caught with $3000 worth of cannabis has evaded jail because of his ‘strong and responsible’ sister.

Steven Paul Gordon pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court on Wednesday to charges of trafficking in and possessing dangerous drugs.

A drug dealer arrested with $3000 worth of cannabis avoided jail because of the supporting influence of his sister.

Steven Paul Gordon, 22, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court on Wednesday to charges of trafficking and possessing a dangerous drug, possessing an item used in connection with trafficking a dangerous drug and possessing utensils for the purpose of administering, using or producing dangerous drugs.

The court heard police searched Gordon’s Bundaberg home in May 2022, finding 313 grams of cannabis packed in cryovac bags in in a safe, in addition to bongs, grinders and scales.

On Gordon’s phone, which was seized in the search, police found messages sent between Gordon and his clients in which Gordon stated he was making a profit of as much as $170 per ounce through his drug trafficking.

The court heard Steven Paul Gordon had used cannabis since the age of 14 due to the influence of his mother, and started using methamphetamine at the age of 20.

While Gordon’s defence barrister, Simone Bain, said there was an element of bragging in Gordon’s estimate of his profit, nevertheless Crown prosecutor Toby Corsbie told the court based on this estimate the cannabis found in Gordon’s home had a total value of $3000.

The court heard at the time of the search Gordon was on a probation order for cannabis possession charges imposed two months prior.

Ms Bain said Gordon’s mother was a cannabis user, and she was at Gordon’s house when the search warrant was executed and “unhelpfully” told police that some of the cannabis found in the home was hers, which was immediately denied by Gordon.

Judge Vicki Loury KC recognised Gordon’s sister as “the driving force” behind the change in Gordon’s life, saying she would be sentencing him to serve actual imprisonment if it were not for her support.

She said Gordon had used cannabis since the age of 14, and started using methamphetamine at the age of 20 following the death of his grandmother.

In addition to helping him to deal with the trauma of being unable to say goodbye to his grandmother due to Covid restrictions in place at the time, the court heard Gordon decided to start taking methamphetamine in order to overcome his cannabis addiction.

Ms Bain told the court that in March 2022, Gordon had an accident on an e-scooter while under the influence of methamphetamine in which he crossed in front of a car and broke his pelvis.

After the accident, his 24-year-old sister encouraged him to move to the family home in the Riverina district of NSW, and his mother was in Bundaberg at the time of the search warrant executed on Gordon’s home in order to also encourage him to move.

After he made that move, his sister “cleaned him up” by helping him overcome his methamphetamine addiction, and was instrumental in finding him work on a citrus farm, the court heard.

Judge Vicki Loury KC recognised Gordon’s sister as “the driving force” behind the change in his life, saying she would be sentencing him to serve actual jail if it were not for her support.

“Despite her young age, she took on a significant responsibility that wasn’t hers to bear,” Judge Loury said.

“You are lucky that you have a sister who is so strong and so responsible … it seems you have flourished with her assistance and her support.”

Judge Loury gave Gordon a head sentence of three years imprisonment suspended for five years.