Boxing coach to face Gympie District Court for supplying meth

The coach represented himself and said he was ‘terribly ashamed’ as he was ordered to appear in Gympie District Court to be sentenced

Mark Hanson will be sentenced in the Gympie District Court at a date to be set.

REPRESENTING himself, a Gympie boxing trainer faced Gympie Magistrates Court on December 7, after he was charged with supplying methamphetamine to another person in 2019.

Mark David Hanson said he was “terribly ashamed” and pleaded guilty to the charge.

“I got a solicitor and it cost me $1300, it took me nearly a year to save on my disability pension,” Hanson said.

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“Your worship, I’ve been clean for a year. I’m totally off drugs and I’m a boxing trainer, I do that four times sometimes five times a week.”

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Magistrate Hillan said the matter couldn’t be dealt with in the Magistrates Court and had to go to the District Court.

“You may not realise that this is quite a serious offence of supplying,” Mr Hillan said.

Police prosecutor Michelle Campbell passed on three witness statements to Mr Hillan for his consideration.

Mark Hanson faced the Gympie Magistrates Court yesterday.

“He’s in a situation where he can’t get legal aid because they won’t fund for this charge at this level and he’s just going to be stuck in no man’s land,” Sgt Campbell said.

Mr Hillan read the witness material and said he was “satisfied” and of the opinion that the evidence was sufficient to put the matter forward to the District Court.

“You are committed for sentence to the criminal sittings of the District Court at Gympie on a date to be advised by the director of public prosecutions,” he said.

“You have an opportunity now that you can apply for legal aid … I suggest you file your application for legal aid straight away.”

Hanson asked Mr Hillan if there was any risk of him going to jail, to which the Magistrate replied, “I cannot answer that, that’s not for me to say.”

Hanson became flustered and said it was a “waste of time”.

“I’ll lose everything,” he said.

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