Ipswich’s underbelly: Insight into some of the worst drug suburbs and convicted dealers
Ipswich drug crisis: The demand for drug support services is growing and so is the number of people being charged with drug crimes. Here’s a full list of Ipswich suburbs worst hit by the debilitating crisis.
Police & Courts
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The Ipswich Drug Squad is running at full force after being dismantled over the past two years to help with the Covid-19 pandemic response, resulting in a steady rise of drug charges in 2022.
During the first five months of 2022, police charged 1,213 drug offences, and 600 of those were for possession, 35 for dealing, 26 for producing, and three trafficking charges.
Each month the number of charges has been growing.
The state’s Organised Crime Gangs task force Maxima has also targeted a number of alleged drug dealers across Ipswich to stem bikie related drug trafficking infiltrating the region.
More than 2100 drug offences were committed across the Ipswich QPS District in the past year; down from about 3000 drug offences the year before.
The downward trend has largely continued since local drug crime surged in 2017 and hit an all time high of 6100 offences – 4,539 of those charges were for selling dangerous drugs.
More of the region’s residents are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, which prompted the intervention of Queensland Health who are currently planning to build a rehabilitation centre in Ipswich to address the growing problem.
According to the latest Data from the Australian Criminal Intelligence, the most common drugs being used across the region are oxycodone, cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis and heroin.
SUBURB BREAKDOWN
Ipswich’s local government area is vast, spanning north from Karana Downs to south at Flinders Peak, and west at Grandchester to east at Carole Park.
Within the local government area over the past six months 1,061 charges were laid and the largest volume of those were issued in the Redbank and Collingwood Park area (196).
In the heart of Ipswich 180 drug charges were laid in the city centre, followed by 88 at Riverview, 69 at Goodna, 68 at Springfield, and 47 Yamanto.
The peaks in the Queensland Police Service data are consistent with areas in the region with the highest population growth, which is also where officers frequently patrol and do proactive police work such as raids and roadside testing.
However, over the past six months a concentrated area of 32 drug charges were laid across a small close knit group of housing estates west Brassall, just off Fernvale Road.
Also of note, police laid 29 drug charges across multiple properties in the rural hills of Peak Crossing.
A low volume of drug charges (two to eight) were laid in suburbs to the east west, such as Ripley, Rosewood, Walloon, Amberley, Willowbank, Purga, and Marburg.
The peak time of day police laid charges was between 9am and 11am, followed by 4pm, midnight, then 8pm.
Most charges take place on Thursdays, followed by Friday, Wednesday, then Tuesday, and Mondays record the lowest number of charges.
DEALERS WHO FRONTED COURT
From young people ‘caught up in the wrong crowd’ to older career criminals, drug dealers with all types of pasts have made their way through Ipswich’s courts.
See a full list of the region’s newly-convicted drug dealers:
CLINTON ROBINSON
An Ipswich dad-of-two walked free from court this year after pleading guilty to nine counts of supplying schedule one dangerous drugs.
The 39-year-old Ebbw Vale man Clinton Robinson appeared in Ipswich District Court on April 4, where it was heard he supplied cannabis on one occasion and methylamphetamine on four occasions between September and November 2019.
It is understood Robinson was using methylamphetamine daily when he committed the crimes.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with immediate parole.
ANGUS CHEYNE DAVIE
Five years of drug dealing caught up with Ipswich dad Angus Cheyne Davie, 55, when police busted him supplying marijuana, LSD, magic mushrooms, and other drugs to people including minors.
A self-proclaimed “cult leader”, Davie began dealing drugs in June 2015. His operation was uncovered during a police search of his home in June 2020, during which officers found 162g of marijuana, six tabs of LSD, DMT, magic mushrooms, and various drug paraphernalia.
He pleaded guilty to 61 counts of supplying dangerous drugs and three counts of aggravated supply of dangerous drugs to minors 16 years or more, among other charges, in Ipswich District Court on November 10 last year.
Davie was sentenced to two years in prison with parole eligibility after serving three months.
ASHLEY BOYD PALMER
A Springwood construction worker narrowly avoided jail time after pleading guilty in Ipswich District Court to nine counts of supplying schedule two dangerous drugs and one count of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
The court heard police cottoned onto 41-year-old Ashley Boyd Palmer’s drug crimes via two traffickers they were investigating in the Ipswich area, both of whom he was a contact.
A search of his phone revealed he supplied methamphetamine, marijuana, MDMA, and other drugs to repeat customers.
The tradie was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with immediate parole.
AMBER LOUISE SCHROEN
At just 20 years old, Lockyer Valley woman Amber Louise Schroen was convicted of 22 counts of supplying dangerous drugs.
The young woman appeared in Ipswich District Court via video-link from jail in August last year to plead guilty to the charges as well as 15 lesser offences including drug possession.
The court heard she supplied methylamphetamine to a number of people between April and July 2020.
She was sentenced to 12 months’ jail with immediate parole given she had already spent 254 days in presentence custody.
CASSANDRA HOPE CARROLL
A mum-of-four from Ipswich faced sentence last year after pleading guilty to 30 counts of drug supply committed over a short four-month period.
Cassandra Hope Carroll, 44, appeared in Ipswich District Court on 12 charges of supplying schedule one dangerous drugs and 18 charges of supplying schedule two dangerous drugs, as well as possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
The court heard the Leichhardt woman dealt drugs between February and June 2020 and had long suffered with drug addiction herself.
She was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and given a parole release date of April 27 this year.
JOHNATHON NEIL GRIFFITHS
A truck driver-turned-gardener found himself caught up in a police sting when he began using and then selling drugs, an Ipswich court heard.
Johnathon Neil Griffiths, 36, from Goondiwindi pleaded guilty in August last year to three counts of supplying drugs, namely methylamphetamine, in 2019, as well as a number of other offences.
He was sentenced to nine months’ jail for the drug supply offence and one month for failing to appear at court. The terms were wholly suspended for a period of 18 months.
BEN CARLTON CAFFREY
Repeat offender Ben Carlton Caffrey from Basin Pocket returned to Ipswich District Court in December on charges including 17 counts of supplying schedule one dangerous drugs and one count of supplying schedule two dangerous drugs.
The court heard the 33-year-old had “struggles with coping” following a fatal shooting at his former Booval address in March 2016.
His drug dealing business was exposed in June 2020 when police noticed him using his mobile phone while driving and seized his phone. Examination of the device revealed he had supplied buyers with methamphetamine and GHB over a 27-day period.
The largest amount he sold at one time was 1.3g for $500, which Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC described as “street level”.
Caffrey was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for three and a half years.
ROSEMAREE-LEE IVES
An Ipswich court heard mum-of-six Rosemaree-Lee Ives struggled with a drug addiction so severe it caused her to lose her relationship with her firstborn child and spiral into a life of crime.
The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to 25 counts of supplying dangerous drugs and one count of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
The prosecution told the court she was caught selling drugs — including methamphetamine, oxycodone, cannabis, and buprenorphine — in 2019 and 2020, in breach of a probation order.
She was sentenced to an 18-month jail term with immediate parole.
SCOTT BRADLEY PALMER
Ipswich dad Scott Bradley Palmer, 25, was on probation for dealing drugs when he reoffended, a court heard in December.
The young man pleaded guilty to nine charges of supplying drugs in Ipswich District Court, where it was said he dealt marijuana for cash and other drugs.
The prosecution told the court he had recently tested positive for THC and appeared to be making “limited efforts” to address his drug use.
Palmer was sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison sentence and released on parole.
WAYNE PATU
A 44-year-old Ipswich dad pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court this month after scheming with his daughter to smuggle opioids into a correctional facility.
Wayne Patu pleaded guilty to one count of supplying dangerous drugs within a correctional facility on May 10 for an offence which occurred in 2020.
The court heard his daughter was intercepted by police and $26,700 worth of suboxone strips were discovered on her person. She was charged with and later pleaded guilty to one count of drug supply.
Patu was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with immediate parole eligibility.
SHANNAN PATRICIA ARNEIL
Boonah mum Shannan Patricia Arneil pleaded guilty to six drug charges on Tuesday, February 15, after police busted the small-time dealer.
The 36-year-old had been selling marijuana to fund her own addiction and was fully cooperative with police during a raid on July 16.
The court heard Arneil sold to at least 16 customers between January and July in 2021, and when police raided her home they found 36g of weed.
Magistrate Virginia Sturgess sentenced Arneil to 15 months parole and disqualified her licence for four months for drug driving, supplying and possessing drugs, and possessing multiple drug related items.
FULL STORY.
TOR VIKING GUNNAR STROMBURG
A police investigation into an Ipswich meth trafficking ring named middle man, Tor Viking Gunnar Stromberg, after a raid uncovered he was selling meth.
The 52-year-old tradie pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying drugs at the Ipswich District Court on Thursday, February 10.
The court heard Stromberg was contacted by his dealer in September 2020 and asked to use his personal stash for a drug deal – resulting in the sale of six points of meth for $500 and three points for $100.
The Crown noted Stromberg’s history was littered with drug offences and the supply of drugs showed his offending had escalated.
Judge Rinaudo sentenced Stromberg to an 18 months prison sentence which was suspended for two years.
Stromberg was released on immediate parole.
SHARON THOMS
At Ipswich District Court on Thursday, February 17, Sharon Maree Thoms, 55, pleaded guilty to nine charges of supplying drugs and was sentenced to 18 months jail.
Crown prosecutor Stewart said despite having 54 prior drug convictions and a 12-page criminal history, Thoms’ had been afforded the benefit of community based orders in the past.
The court the Ipswich mum and small business owner was buying between 1.75 and 3.5g of methamphetamine a day to fund her daily addiction of 0.5g a day.
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