Joe Leeder charged with supplying dangerous drugs to minors he knew were under 16

Justice Crow says the 12 year olds harassed and ‘somewhat preyed’ on him to be their drug supplier and then made threats when he came up short.

A grown man with a mental disorder has earned time behind bars after teenage boys harassed him into being their drug dealer.

Justice Graeme Crow said 24-year-old Joe Leeder was a prime example of how marijuana could destroy lives when he came before Mackay Supreme Court via videolink from jail on Tuesday.

Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said the North Mackay man came to police attention after one of the 12-year-old boys told them the source of their marijuana supply.

The court heard the teens went to Leeder’s home three times over the course of December 2019 to ask for drugs, paying Leeder $50 for 2.5g of marijuana on the first occasion.

“You asked the children for a cone or a bud from it but the children refused and told you it belonged to someone else,” Justice Crow told Leeder.

They returned days later, this time with $25 for half the amount, asking Leeder to weigh it out in front of them.

“Again, you did not profit from that transaction,” Justice Crow said.

Joe Leeder faced Mackay Supreme Court after sourcing marijuana for teenage boys he knew were under 16.

He said the teens returned once more this time harassing Leeder after he told them they would have to wait one hour.

“You said, ‘Just let me go and get your f**king drugs and this will the last time you get them through me’,” Justice Crow said.

“Rather than supplying the full amount you only gave them half of it.

“You told the children, ‘There you go you greedy little c**ts, you can f**k off’.

“The children have left and said, ‘You’ve got something coming for you mate’.”

North Mackay man Joe Leeder faced Mackay Supreme Court after supplying marijuana to minors who ‘preyed’ on him.

Two months later, police arrested Leeder laying charges following his full confession.

He has since spent 157 days in prison.

“You admitted you knew (the boy) was under 16,” Justice Crow said to Leeder.

“You told police that cannabis was ‘not dangerous to you’ and that you suggested it was medicinally useful.

“You said if you have to go to court for supplying cannabis, you’d bring up how many people had died of methylamphetamine and how many people had died of cannabis.”

Defence barrister Scott McLennan, instructed by ATSILS, said a psychiatrist had diagnosed Leeder with paranoid schizophrenia from early drug abuse, leading to him exhibiting psychotic symptoms in his teenage years.

Justice Crow said Leeder had a difficult upbringing with a domestically violent father before “living on the poverty line” after his mother fled with his siblings.

“You present as a complicated case,” Justice Crow said.

“You completed only Year 8, you were the subject of severe bullying, you turned to drug use, cannabis at the age of 13 and then you commenced using methylamphetamine at the age of 17.”

Justice Crow said Leeder had sought rehabilitation for his drug addiction in prison, where he was also seriously assaulted.

But he said he was concerned about Leeder’s attitude towards his offending after the court had made various attempts to keep him out of prison.

Justice Crow said while Leeder had not corrupted the children, he would have to be stronger against people who “somewhat preyed” on him to get drugs.

He sentenced Leeder, who pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying dangerous drugs to a minor under 16, to 12 months jail with immediate release on parole, accounting for time already served.

“It doesn’t mean you’ll get out today, it means you’ll get out soon, perhaps in two months time,” Justice Crow said.