Ipswich drug dealer called out by judge over Snapchat ‘stupidity’

An Ipswich man has been sentenced after a stint dealing drugs at locations, including a local grocery store, before his own actions on social media led to him being caught by police.

Liam Anthony Ding, 21, leaving Ipswich Courthouse in 2019. Picture: Ross Irby

An Ipswich removalist has been sentenced after being busted for a short-lived drug-dealing stint, where he was caught swearing buyers to secrecy on social media.

Flinders View resident Liam Anthony Ding, 24, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on November 8 to 13 counts of supplying a dangerous drug.

Crown prosecutor Jessica Beckman said police had issued a warrant for Ding’s devices last April while investigating another individual and found evidence he had supplied cannabis, MDMA and unknown drugs on 13 occasions over a 10-day period.

The messages revealed Ding planned to make drug transactions at local locations, including the Coles Ripley car park and the MiHi Tavern in Brassall.

Ms Beckman said the messages had demonstrated Ding had a certain level of knowledge as to the seriousness of his offending and had made references to deliberately avoiding detection.

She gave the example that Ding had instructed one buyer to only communicate about MDMA purchases over Snapchat because dealing MDMA would result in “more serious charges than bud”.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said the chat between Ding and his customers further demonstrated Ding’s “casual willingness” to supply drugs and “the sort of stupidity [he] engaged in, along with those [he] supplied to”.

He noted Ding’s customers included casual language such as “lol cool man” and said “they might as well say ‘lol cool man, you’ll get 18 months for that’”.

Ms Beckman said Ding had a relevant criminal history, mostly comprised of drug offending, along with public nuisance and weapons offending in 2019.

Defence barrister Sarah Cartledge said Ding started using cannabis at a young age to self-medicate a back injury and said he had started supplying drugs to feed his own drug addiction.

She said Ding obtained a prescription for medical cannabis since this offending, which he predominantly used for anxiety and insomnia.

Judge Horneman-Wren said he accepted Ding had the benefit of strong family support and employment as a furniture removalist but also emphasised how his offending had an “absolutely abhorrent” effect on the community.

“Ordinary members of the public are going to the MiHi Tavern … or going to Coles Ripley to do their shopping, with their children, and in the car park people are dealing MDMA or cannabis,” he said.

Ding was ultimately sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, with immediate parole release, and convictions were recorded.