Anthony Eric Deguara sentenced for drug trafficking, attempting to pervert justice
A judge said a busy cannabis supplier was ‘in thrall’ of a friend in a Queensland jail and was conspiring with another dealer on a plot to free him.
Police & Courts
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A judge said a busy cannabis supplier was “in thrall” to a friend jailed in Capricornia Correctional Centre and was conspiring with another dealer on a plot to free him.
Texts on Anthony Eric Deguara’s phone to a man named Amos revealed a scheme to con someone into signing a false statutory declaration confessing to crimes Amos was charged with, Mackay Supreme Court heard.
Justice David North heard the 46-year-old’s residence was searched and his phone seized by police on June 6,2021.
“Ultimately, it revealed suspicious messages passing between you and an associate called Hayden,” Justice North said.
“Police reviewed the glut of calls made by another person called Amos, who was in custody (at) Capricornia Correctional Centre.
“At Amos’ behest, on occasions in (2021) you attempted to solicit others to draft a false statutory declaration admitting to a variety of charges which, in fact, Amos had been arrested for,” Justice North said.
“You took orders or suggestions from Amos (and) regularly … pursued Hayden as to whether he’d found someone.
“You appear to have been in the thrall of Amos or others and go to quite absurd lengths.”
The court heard evidence on Deguara’s phone showed he had been trafficking cannabis and meth for three months prior to the search warrant.
Deguara pleaded guilty to trafficking, three counts of possessing dangerous drugs, attempting to pervert the course of justice, possessing a tainted debit card, obstruct police, and four other drug-related summary charges.
Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the defendant had 30 prior convictions for drug offences with sporadic court dates going back to 1995.
Ms Lawrence said because Deguara had served 180 days of presentence custody in two stints, receiving bail each time, he should return to jail to serve a third of his sentence.
Defence barrister Scott McLennan said his client had demonstrated his remorse by living nearly three months in a residential rehabilitation program in Brisbane, even having been resident of the month for September 2023.
Mr McLennan said Deguara should not be given actual imprisonment so to preserve his progress in maintaining sobriety.
The court heard a marriage break-up and relationship breakdown with his children contributed to a “fall from grace”, in Mr McLennan’s words.
Justice North sentenced Deguara to a head sentence of three years jail for trafficking, six months for attempting to pervert the course of justice, and was convicted but not further punished for nine other charges.
“You have taken quite some steps towards rehabilitation,” Justice North said.
“(And) there’s a significant prospect of compromising your rehabilitation if you were to go back into custody.”
His 180 days of presentence custody were declared as time served and his sentence was suspended after 180 days with an operational period of four years.
Deguara was convicted of all charges and a serious drug offence certificate was issued.
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