Jacob Bradley Box in court for drug trafficking

Despite a good upbringing and a solid job, a young man’s demise into drug trafficking has illustrated the prevalence of drugs in regional Qld.

Jacob Bradley Box.

A Bundaberg court has heard how despite a good upbringing, a young man fell in with a bad crowd and found himself narrowly avoiding jail because of his involvement with drugs.

Jacob Bradley Box, a butcher, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Supreme Court to trafficking in dangerous drugs from June 8, 2019 to October 6, 2019.

Offences were committed while he was between 18 and 19 years old.

The Bundaberg Supreme Court heard that in a period of about four months, Box trafficked both street and wholesale amounts of drugs, mostly marijuana.

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He also dabbled in the sale of MDMA, but it was not considered the focus on his operation.

The court heard that when Box lost his driver’s licence, he paid another person $70-150 a time to drive him around while he carried out his illicit business, with another person driving a car ahead of them as a look-out.

On September 21, 2019, police executed a search warrant on Box’s Bargara home, finding 25.9g of cannabis, a grinder, cone piece and water pipe and $16,580 in cash.

He was issued with a notice to appear in court.

On July 30, 2020, a search warrant was again executed at Box’s home.

Jacob Bradley Box, a butcher, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Supreme Court to trafficking in dangerous drugs from June 8, 2019 to October 6, 2019.

It revealed 6.4g of cannabis, and Box was taken to Bundaberg Police Station where he was charged with trafficking and released on bail.

Box quit trafficking of his own volition, however, and had taken positive steps towards rehabilitation, the court heard.

Justice Graeme Crow said it was accepted that Box had been proactive in giving up drugs.

In sentencing, Justice Crow read out facts of Box’s offending, including that he had been delivering drugs to areas including Bargara, Bundaberg East, Walkervale, Bundaberg North and other areas.

Information was captured on intercepted phone calls.

He reminded Box that getting caught up in drug use, as he had at a young age due to his peer group, was not a good decision.

“A lot of young men aren’t very clever. Frankly, they’re quite stupid,” Justice Crow said.

“If they fall in with the wrong crowd and their friends start taking drugs, they follow their peer group because they’re not smart enough not to. They start taking drugs and you did.

“And then it becomes a problem in their life.”

Justice Crow said many ended up in prison, with ruined lives, and often ended up engaging in behaviour like beating their partners and children as a result of falling into drugs.

“It’s a horrible thing to get involved in dangerous drugs and you’re smart enough not to do that - I hope,” he said.

Box’s early plea of guilty, the fact he voluntarily quit trafficking, had engaged positively with support services and his youth were taken into account in sentencing.

He was sentenced to three years in prison with immediate release.