Hayden James Waterton pleads guilty to meth possession at Nebo Rd motel

A man’s drug rendezvous went tragically wrong after a police raid found more than 10 grams of meth in a Bruce Highway motel.

A man’s drug rendezvous went tragically wrong after a police raid found more than 10 grams of meth in a Bruce Highway motel.

A man’s rendezvous went tragically wrong after a police raid found more than 10g grams of meth in a Bruce Highway motel.

Hayden James Waterton rented out a Nebo Road motel room on February 13, 2023, where he was found the next day with an “associate” and 14g of pure meth in clip seal bags.

He pleaded guilty in Mackay Supreme Court on November 23 to possessing meth, two counts of possessing tainted property, possessing ammunition, possessing a police badge and four other drug-related summary offences.

“On February 14, 2023 ... you and an associate were in the room (when) during the search police located behind the fridge in the room 14.072g of pure meth and a quantity of 20.849g substance between 5 five clip seal bags,” Justice North said.

“The packaging of the drugs, the quantity of Australian currency found, and the presence of other items such as digital scales, leads me to the conclusion that there was a commercial aspect.

“In other words, you were planning to sell to other users, reserving some of the drugs for your own use.”

Hayden James Waterton rented out a Nebo Road motel room on February 13, 2023, where he was found the next day with an “associate” and 14g of pure meth in clip seal bags.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the Valentine’s Day raid occurred just weeks after Waterton was sentenced to three years jail on a suspended sentence for drug possession.

Mackay Supreme Court heard Waterton had a “litany of prior drug convictions” and had been released after 289 days in presentence custody, declared time served by Justice Graeme Crow in December 2022.

Defence barrister Alastair McDougall said Waterton had been educated to grade 9 nine and had a “troubled childhood”.

Yet the court heard he had reference letters from three friends, his mother and partner, who were all in court to support him.

“It’s agreed the majority of drugs were possessed for a commercial purpose ... but that they’re also for his personal use should be taken into account,” Mr McDougall said.

Mr McDougall said Waterton had a two-and-a-half-year-old son and had completed a boilermaking apprenticeship.

Ms Lawrence said Waterton had mentioned “missing his son’s milestones” when being sentenced by Justice Crow.

“Seems that was not sufficiently salient for the defendant, given his return to offending,” she said.

Justice North sentenced Waterton to a head sentence of three years imprisonment for drug possession and eight summary charges.

The court heard Justice North “specifically refrain” from declaring Waterton’s 282 days of presentence custody since February 14 as time served.

A parole eligibility date was set at April 13, 2024, convictions were recorded and a serious drug offence certificate was issued.