Ipswich dad Tremayne Justus Watson sentenced for mega cash and cannabis stash

Cash in the kitchen, cannabis in the garage and drug equipment in a child’s bedroom: The lengths a man went to ‘mind‘ drug stuff ‘for a friend’.

Ipswich dad Tremayne Justus Watson leaving Ipswich Courthouse on December 12, 2022. Picture: Nicola McNamara

After police dogs sniffed out more than 9kg of cannabis and $50,000 cash stashed throughout an Ipswich man’s house, his lawyer told a court he’d simply been “minding” them for someone else.

Bundamba tattoo apprentice Tremayne Justus Watson, 27, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on December 12, 2022, to possessing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g, possessing a thing used in connection with possessing a dangerous drug, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence under the drugs misuse act, possessing utensils or pipes and failing to return a suspended card.

The court heard police had searched Watson’s Bundamba home with dogs in June, 2021, and uncovered large amounts of cash and cannabis throughout the house.

In the master bedroom, there was a plastic bag containing bundles of cash totalling $44,000, along with a further $2000 in the walk-in wardrobe and $9000 in a kitchen cupboard.

They also uncovered 20 bags of cannabis, totalling 8.95kg, in a black Styrofoam box in his double garage, along with a Woolworths bag in a hallway cupboard containing 172g of cannabis, 100 steroid tablets, syringes and three empty vials containing trace liquids.

Crown prosecutor Christine Wilson said an analysis of the vials revealed two had contained testosterone and the other had contained nandrolone.

She said police also uncovered 10g of cannabis seeds, along with a pipe and a bowl containing a small amount of cannabis in a patio drawer.

They further found a cryovac machine at the bottom of a cupboard inside a child’s bedroom, along with cryovac bags on the kitchen bench.

In total, Ms Wilson said they located $55,000 cash and 9.134kg of cannabis.

Watson was charged soon after, and his blue card was suspended as a result – which he failed to return in time.

Ms Wilson said the large quantities of cash and cannabis, along with the fact much of the cannabis was found sealed in cryovac bags, suggested they had a commercial purpose.

Defence barrister Remy Kurz said, by his client’s account, the drugs had belonged to another person and he had simply agreed to mind them.

“There were no fingerprints found on the drugs, the bags, the cash, the cryovac machine,” he said.

“There’s a lack of any phone evidence to suggest the defendant’s involvement in the distribution of the drugs.”

He also noted his client had been diagnosed with ASD since this offending and suggested he had a “susceptibility to be led”.

Ms Wilson said the Crown did not accept the drugs and cash belonged to another person, but Judge Dennis Lynch said the Crown’s evidence to prove they did belong to him was insufficient.

“It remains serious offending to be in a significant commercial quantity of cannabis and cash clearly obtained by someone from that enterprise,” Judge Lynch said.

He noted Watson had no criminal history, had young children and had recently undertaken a tattoo apprenticeship.

He further noted Watson had not only ASD, but also congenital heart disease – resulting in chronically low oxygen levels.

Watson was ultimately sentenced to two years imprisonment, wholly suspended, and convictions were recorded.