Deepwater drug operation offenders plead guilty in Bundaberg court

Three people arrested in a Deepwater drug raid have learnt their fate, with weapons and vials of testosterone also seized at the property.

The three people arrested from a police raid of a 'sophisticated' drug operation were sentenced in a Bundaberg court on Thursday.

Testosterone pills and a rifle with .308 ammunition were among the items seized by police in a raid on a “sophisticated and well planned” drug operation between Bundaberg and Gladstone.

The three offenders arrested in the raid on a house in Deepwater on May 6, 2023 pleaded guilty to multiple charges including producing and possessing dangerous drugs in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Thursday.

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Police prosecutor Senior Constable Andrew Powis told the court police conducted a search warrant on the property owned by Michael Salmon, the father of one of the defendants, Craig Barry Salmon.

Michael Salmon was not accused of involvement in or knowledge of any wrongdoing

On arrival police found Craig Salmon, 38, his partner Katrina Ellen Nash, 40, and Joseph Liam Delaney, 31, in a house on the property.

Officers found about 187 potted cannabis plants in three grow tents within the house and on the patio, the court was told.

Police seized around 187 potted cannabis plants and a rifle with .308 ammunition during the raid on a Deepwater property on May 6, 2023.

Mr Powis told the court police analysis determined the total weight of the cannabis plants was 23.5kg, with additional amounts of cannabis located throughout the house weighting 535.6g.

In an operation described by Mr Powis as “sophisticated and well planned”, the grow tents included lighting and exhaust systems along with watering equipment, a cryovac machine and clip seal bags, with several cannabis smoking pipes strewn throughout the house.

Officers also uncovered five vials of testosterone pills during the search owned by Salmon, who also declared that he had a firearm in his possession which was found in his bedroom along with 31 rounds of .308 ammunition.

When questioned by police, Salmon admitted to maintaining the cannabis plants but said they were for personal use, and he said he had found the firearm in a PVC pipe in a dam on the property.

Salmon did not have a prescription for the testosterone pills and did not provide a reason for possessing them, the court was told.

During the search of the home, officers also found a mobile phone belonging to Salmon concealed within a deep fryer.

Salmon gave police an incorrect pin code for the phone, which led to him being charged with contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically.

When questioned by police, Salmon’s partner Nash said she had been on the property for “a couple of days”, and said she had not been involved in maintaining the plants although she had used the smoking utensils found in the property to smoke cannabis.

Joseph Liam Delaney (left), Craig Barry Salmon (middle) and Katrina Ellen Nash (right) were sentenced for their role in the Deepwater drug operation raided by police on May 6, 2023.

Delaney, a friend of Salmon, said he had been staying on the property for about one week and had watered the cannabis plants and also used the smoking utensils found in the property to smoke cannabis.

The lawyer for the three defendants, Matt Messenger, told the court Salmon was a qualified panel beater and spray painter, and had temporarily moved to Deepwater from Hervey Bay in order to support his father who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Nash was caring for a five-month old child in Hervey Bay where she ran a dog grooming business, which she intended to resume once the matters before the court were settled.

Delaney was working as a construction contractor on the Gold Coast, the court heard.

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Magistrate John McInnes ordered Salmon serve a head sentence of two years with immediate release on parole, Delaney 12 months probation and 60 hours of community service, and Nash 60 hours of community service.

Salmon was charged with one count each of contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically, authority required to possess explosives, unlawful possession of weapons class A, B or M, possess utensils or pipes, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, producing dangerous drugs schedule 2.

Nash and Delaney were both charged with one count each of possessing utensils or pipes, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime and producing dangerous drugs.

Convictions were recorded for Salmon and Nash, and not recorded for Delaney.