Cops bust Gympie dad with weed stash, bongs and plants

Police searched the 24-year-old man’s home twice in one week, finding his large stash of weed and utensils

Police searched the 24-year-old dad’s home twice in a week, finding his large weed stash and utensils. Picture: Facebook

Police searched the home of a Gympie father-of-two twice in one week, finding a total of 65.45 grams of marijuana, water pipes, grinder and seedlings.

Chad Thomas Shaw, 24, pleaded guilty to the charges in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday and said he used weed to manage his previous six-year ice addiction.

Police first attended Shaw’s home on October 15 at 8am, finding nine clip seal bags containing 40 grams of marijuana and a water pipe in his bedroom.

In the kitchen they found another water pipe, scales, two cone pieces and an electric grinder.

When questioned, Shaw admitted the utensils were his and said he weighed his marijuana so he did not smoke it too quickly.

Police prosecutor Michael Phillips said police executed a search warrant on Shaw’s house two days later, on October 17.

“The defendant declared a number of items leading the detectives to two small bowls containing cannabis powder residue, seeds and stalks,” Sergeant Phillips said.

Chad Shaw pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday.

Sgt Phillips said Shaw also led police to some clip seal bags containing 25.45 grams of marijuana, a Gatorade bottle and seedlings that were growing in a white container on the kitchen bench.

“During the interaction the defendant was very vocal about being a recovered ice addict and that cannabis was the only thing that kept him off ice,” he said.

“He insisted the cannabis was only for personal use and he was not dealing.”

Solicitor Nightingale said Shaw was the full-time carer of his two daughters and received a parenting payment.

In regards to his ice addiction, he said Shaw went to rehab and was now off the drug completely.

“He says that child safety are aware of his cannabis use and (he) has previously had to provide drug tests to demonstrate that he is no longer using ice,” Ms Nightingale said.

Magistrate Callaghan noted the most aggravating part of the offending was how Shaw committed the offences a few days apart.

He was fined $500 and the items forfeited. No convictions were recorded.

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