Wayne Steven Merrick has been jailed for a year after pleading guilty to supplying the drug ice only a few months after being released from prison

An Ipswich man was only out of jail for a few months when he went back to selling drugs

Wayne Steven Merrick

JUST a few months after getting out of jail, a convicted drug dealer was back selling small quantities of ice in Ipswich.

Police were watching and quick to grab the offender, with his mobile phone providing the incriminating evidence they needed.

Wayne Merrick, a father of five, this week appeared at Ipswich District Court for sentence over his latest offending.

Wayne Steven Merrick, 41, pleaded guilty to four charges of unlawfully supplying the dangerous drug methylamphetamine to another person at Bellbird Park on June 17, 2020; and being in possession of a phone used in the supply of an illegal drug.

Crown prosecutor Victoria Adams said Merrick’s history of offending increased over the years and culminated in a jail sentence for trafficking, imposed by the Brisbane Supreme Court in August 2018.

He was released on parole in January last year, then committed the offences now before the court in June.

His parole was cancelled, and he had since spent more than 300 days back in jail.

Ms Adams said the offences were discovered when detectives executed a search warrant at a house in Bellbird Park.

Merrick’s mobile phone was seized and drug related messages were found on it, revealing he had supplied and made offers to supply ice in deals of one point for $60.

Defence barrister Daniel Boddice said Merrick was a forklift driver who turned to drugs as a teenager as a result of his rough childhood.

Judge Michael Byrne QC said although the drug supplies involved relatively minor amounts, Merrick’s history of drug offences was serious.

Merrick was sentenced to 12 months jail for the supply charges, and a concurrent term of three months jail for using the phone to commit the offences.

The time will be added to his existing sentence.

He will be eligible to begin his parole application on July 30 this year.

Originally published as Wayne Steven Merrick has been jailed for a year after pleading guilty to supplying the drug ice only a few months after being released from prison