Luke Daniel Mckenzie is accused of being a drug debt collector and facing charges of trafficking and possessing $180k cash, encrypted phones
The cash-in-mattress accused allegedly threatened to bash and torture drug addicts in debt, but his lawyer said it was ‘gansta talk’.
Police & Courts
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An alleged drug debt enforcer is accused of threatening to "bash, deprive the liberty and torture" addicts who owe money in a series of messages revealed in court.
Despite the "concerning" nature of the 38 year old's alleged conduct, he was granted bail because there was nothing specifying what drugs he was accused of trafficking.
Luke Daniel Mckenzie was arrested last week after police allegedly found $180,000 cash in cryovac bags and encrypted phones stashed in a mattress of his West Mackay home.
He is charged with trafficking, possessing tainted property, and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime after officers raided the Lansdowne Road property.
During a lengthy bail application Prosecutor Harry Coburn alleged Mr Mckenzie was carrying on a business of "drug debt collection, quite contrary to what we heard … that he's engaged in the business of selling cars … for profit".
Mr Coburn alleged a number of messages linked to Mr Mckenzie were about buying and selling drugs and "quite clearly" did not relate to selling cars.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard Mr Mckenzie was allegedly an unacceptable risk to the community.
"These messages indicate plans to bash, deprive the liberty and torture," Mr Coburn said.
It is alleged Mr Mckenzie was sent a message that read, "I'm keen to grab the pair of them", to which he replied, "yeah definitely, f***ing scum c***s".
Another message Mr Mckenzie allegedly sent said, "I've got a nice big shed I can do all types of things in lol I warned (woman's name) if she didn't find the money she'd be spending more quality time in there".
"There's also messages to locating, sedating and torturing (a woman)," Mr Coburn said.
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The court heard other messages Mr Mckenzie allegedly sent said, "I just went over to three houses with my favourite bat. Two have kids, one wasn't there.
"Nothing f***s me off more than going to f*** some c*** up and they survive cause kids are around."
"At least (Mr Mckenzie) has the basic decency not to engage in this business … in front of children," Mr Coburn said, adding that "no bail conditions will mitigate his risk of further reoffending".
The court heard there were also messages where Mr Mckenzie was allegedly trying to "get hold of" three Glock firearms prompting Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan to question why someone would need a handgun in a car trade business.
"He's clearly heavily invested in this business," Mr Coburn said.
Defence solicitor Peter Clark, of Strutynski Law, said there was "no way of skirting around those messages" conceding they were "very concerning".
"All that I can put forward is the instruction that there was some gangsta talk in there," Mr Clark said.
"Perhaps it's big talk …. Really is a matter for trial in my submission."
Mr Clark said his client had provided the phone messages voluntarily and argued prosecution had made some unfair assumptions.
Ms Hartigan said she did not believe Mr Mckenzie was a flight risk and noted there was nothing in the bail objection about whether the drug trafficking was in relation to ice or marijuana.
"There's quite a big difference in my experience between trafficking in cannabis and trafficking in a schedule one drug (ice) - cannabis being a schedule two drug," Ms Hartigan said.
Ms Hartigan told the court one of her considerations, given he was innocent until proven guilty and had the presumption of bail unless prosecution could prove otherwise, was if Mr Mckenzie would spend too long in custody on remand.
"I must say the messages are extremely disturbing and outline a strong case for trafficking in something, but that something is unknown to me," Ms Hartigan said.
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"There's no explanation in my view consistent with car dealing that could lead to possession of encrypted phones, the use of an encrypted app, reference to employee, violence or purchase of firearms, in particular Glock handguns.
"This seems to be inconsistent with Mr Mckenzie's instructions that he is in fact a car dealer.
"However in the absence of any specific evidence of what he is in fact trafficking in, I find myself unable to refuse him bail."
He must report twice a weekend to police under his bail conditions. The case has been adjourned.
Originally published as Luke Daniel Mckenzie is accused of being a drug debt collector and facing charges of trafficking and possessing $180k cash, encrypted phones
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