Man who rode stolen horse into pub in court for dealing

The Gympie man’s phone revealed he had sold drugs to people earlier this year, while on a suspended sentence for stealing a horse and serious assault.

Matthew Grimstone

A GYMPIE man who previously rode a stolen horse into Gympie's Jockey Club Hotel and punched a stranger in the face, has found himself back before the courts, this time on several charges of supplying meth.

On January 31 this year, police with a search warrant for another man, raided a house in Gympie where they found Matthew Lawrence Grimstone, 25, and discovered he had been supplying the wanted man with meth.

Grimstone's phone was seized by police to be analysed, and messages revealed details of previous drug deals.

Matthew Grimstone

Grimstone had sold the man 0.5g of meth or a substance containing meth for $100 in early January, later that month, he sold him the same quantity again for $100, and towards the end of January he sold another person 0.2g for an unknown price.

Grimstone faced the Gympie District Court last week and pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying drugs schedule one.

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The court heard Grimstone had a criminal history, and had been on parole at the time of these offences.

In 2019, Grimstone was sentenced for stealing a horse from the Bull 'n' Bronc at the Gympie Showgrounds in February and riding it into the Jockey Club Hotel.

He then seriously assaulted a stranger, punching him in the face when he "didn't see it coming."

READ MORE: Man who rode stolen horse into Gympie pub sentenced

The blows broke bones in the victim's face, caused multiple complex facial fractures and a broken tooth.

Grimstone spent 83 days in pre-sentence custody for the drug offences before the court last week, and was released on bail on April 27.

The court heard Grimstone worked on and off as a concreter, and was a father to two children, one to a former partner and one with his girlfriend of four years, who is currently pregnant with their second child.

Grimstone's pre-sentence custody was declared time served, and he was given a head sentence of 12 months jail, suspended for 12 months.

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