Repeat Gympie drug offender jailed after blowing second chance

A resident of The Palms has been put behind bars after he was caught with marijuana less than four months after pleading guilty to growing the drug

James Justin John Wickmann has been jailed after he was caught with marijuana despite being on a suspended sentence.

A Gympie region man will spend the next six weeks in jail after he was caught with marijuana only four months after being convicted of growing the illegal drug.

James Justin John Wickmann was caught with 31g of the plant when police executed a search warrant at his home at The Palms on March 10.

Gympie Magistrates Court heard Wickmann told officers he had the drug and a bong in his house but their search also turned up clip-seal bags containing marijuana in a white plastic container, and another small container with chopped marijuana.

Wickmann had been in Gympie District Court only four months earlier to plead guilty to multiple charges, including producing the dangerous drug.

He had grown more than 14kg of the plant and was given a nine-month jail term which was suspended for 18 months.

The court heard Wickmann returned to using the drug after a prolonged hospital stay.

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Duty lawyer Chris Anderson told the court Wickmann had stopped using marijuana until he had gastric bypass surgery a few months ago.

The 50-year-old developed two infections as a result of the surgery, spent more than a month in hospital and was off work for nine weeks.

Mr Anderson said his client started using he drug again as a result.

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He asked Magistrate Graham Hillan to consider not handing his client a jail term, but Mr Hillan said Wickmann had already been given the benefit of a suspended sentence at his last appearance.

Wickmann, who pleaded guilty to a charge of drug possession and another of possessing utensils, was jailed for four months. He will be released on parole on May 22.

Mr Hillan also remanded him to reappear in Gympie District Court at a future date to be resentenced.

Originally published as Repeat Gympie drug offender jailed after blowing second chance