NAMED: Gatton man pleads guilty to 39 charges in Wacol cell

A Gatton man who pleaded guilty from his Wacol cell was handed a heavy jail sentence for his spree of serious offending. DETAILS:

Generic photo for read on Tasmania's "dangerous criminals". Picture: Zak Simmonds

A Gatton man held in custody since November pleaded guilty to a raft of serious charges spanning more than 18-months after police found meth, syringes and weapons in his possession.

Noel Robert Lee Williams pleaded guilty via video link from his Wacol cell to 39 charges, some of which dated back to 2019, in the Gatton Magistrates Court on February 24, 2021.

The court was told Williams committed a number of the serious offences while on parole and subject to a probation order.

Gatton Magistrates Court, generic court.

On July 26, 2019, Williams was charged with one charge of possessing a dangerous drug, two charges of possessing restricted drugs and one charge of possessing a knife.

Between July 26, 2019, and August 3, 2019, Williams was charged with contravening a direction given by police.

On August 2, 2019, he was charged with failing to dispose of a syringe, possessing property used in the connection of drugs and three counts of possessing a dangerous drug.

Between March 2 and 7, 2020, Williams was charged with entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence.

On March 8, 2020, he was again charged this time with producing a dangerous drug, possessing a utensil and obstructing police.

Then on March 18, he was busted behind the wheel of a car and charged with drug driving while on a learners permit.

Later that month on March 28, he was again seen behind the wheel and charged while driving unlicensed and unaccompanied on a learners permit.

On July 6, 2020, he failed to appear in the Gatton Magistrates Court and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

Four days later on July 10, Williams was charged with what Magistrate Peter Saggers described as "a large batch of offences" - five charges of possessing a dangerous drug, two charges of possessing a restricted drug, possessing property suspected of being used to produce a dangerous drug, two charges of possessing utensils, possessing explosives and two counts of possessing tainted properties.

On July 18, 2020, he was again charged with failing to dispose of a syringe and possessing a controlled drug.

A month later on August 24, 2020, Williams was busted possessing a dangerous drug and then again that day but at a later time was charged with possessing a dangerous drug, breaching a condition of bail - possessing a knife.

On August 27, he again failed to appear in court.

Williams was charged again on October 7, for possessing a dangerous drug, possessing a controlled drug, failing to dispose of a syringe and possessing a utensil.

On November 12, 2020, he was once again charged for possessing a dangerous drug, possessing a restricted drug and breaching a condition of bail.

Finally, on November 24, he was charged with two counts of possessing a dangerous drug and possessing a utensil.

He pleaded guilty in court to all of the above offences.

Williams was taken into custody on November 25, 2020, where he has remained since.

In court, Williams' solicitor Kevin Rose said his client suffered from "severe depression" and was "maybe suicidal".

Mr Rose said the 41-year-old man had suffered a traumatic childhood that led him to "meddle" with drugs since the age of 12.

Williams told the court he had been "drug free" while in custody and "felt good".

Magistrate Saggers said all of William's offending "appeared to be drug related".

Mr Saggers said police had located "meth" and a pocket knife in William's possession on numerous occasions.

Williams was sentenced to a total of 12 months imprisonment for failing to appear in court and for committing an indictable offence, suspended after serving 109 days in pre sentence custody.

He was convicted and not further punished for the spree of drug offences and disqualified from holding a drivers licence for six months.

Mr Saggers additionally sentenced Williams to an 18-month probation order where he must submit to counselling for his drug and alcohol addiction and mental health.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as NAMED: Gatton man pleads guilty to 39 charges in Wacol cell