Jack Raets Mcfadyen in court for supplying drugs

A drug dealer with a “long history” was jailed for his crimes dating back to 2018 after text messages exposed his acid, meth and cannabis sales.

Jack Raets Mcfadyen appeared in Gympie District Court on March 23, 2023.

A 28-year-old ex-miner with a history of drug offences was sent to jail by a Gympie court on Thursday, March 23, after pleading guilty to seven counts of supplying drugs.

Jack Raets Mcfadyen pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court to the charges, which were brought against him after incriminating text messages were found on his phone.

The court heard police searched Mcfadyen’s home in relation to other drug matters on May 1, 2022 and discovered text messages revealing his dealings with customers dating back to 2018.

The first two occasions occurred in January 2018, when Mcfadyen sold acid to the same person twice, the court was told.

He offered acid a third time to that person a month later, and told him the drug was “always available,” crown prosecutor E. Bolan said.

His next sales were in November 2021: Mcfadyen was contacted by someone else and agreed to meet them to sell 0.5g of meth in exchange for $350, the court heard.

Then in March 2022, he sold $150 worth of MD5, offered about 7g of cannabis to another person and, in April 2022, was recruited by someone to sell 0.5g of meth to “help get some sales”.

In between these offences, he was convicted for other drug offences, including supplying drugs, possessing drugs and driving while a drug was in his saliva.

Mcfadyen was at various times between 2018 and 2022 on bail, on a suspended jail sentence, on probation and out on parole in relation to other offences.

Defence lawyer Chris Anderson told the court Mcfadyen had worked in various positions, one of the last being in the mines.

After his licence was disqualified, he began studying a diploma in cyber security, Mr Anderson said.

Mr Anderson said his client planned now to relocate to Cairns, away from his “drug associates”.

His “drug lifestyle” stemmed from a “desire to fit in,” Mr Anderson said.

Judge Gary Long took Mcfadyen’s “lack of action” against his drug issues into account for his sentence.

Mcfadyen was sentenced to 18 months jail, to be released on parole after six months on September 23, 2023.