Mackay barber Stephen Michael O’Carroll pleads guilty to cocaine supply

A barber’s career took a sharp turn when the Irish national switched from fades to felonies after he was busted acting as a middleman in a commercial cocaine deal.

A barber has been sentenced for drug charges at Mackay District Court.

A Mackay-based barber traded his clippers for a cell where he spent more than 12 months in custody after he was busted for an illegal side hustle that included dealing cocaine.

But his barrister claimed he had only been a middleman in the drug deal with both sides in Mackay District Court agreeing the 31-year-old Irish national’s jail sentence should be cut short to what he had already served while on remand.

Former Gold Empire Tattoo Barber worker Stephen Michael O’Carroll was caught with 1.7g of meth in 2.43g of powder, 17.8g of marijuana and drug paraphernalia when police raided his Mount Pleasant home on May 26, 2024 – information on his phone revealed he had supplied seven grams of cocaine to another for $1400 on May 2.

He was also found with $1550 in cash from drug sales.

O’Carroll pleaded guilty to supplying and possessing dangerous drugs, possessing used drug items and cash, as well as breaching bail twice and wilfully causing $300 damage to a police mattress.

Stephen Michael O’Carroll pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including supplying and possessing drugs.

Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard said O’Carroll had been in custody on remand for 377 days and served well over two thirds of what might be the total penalty for his offending.

The court heard O’Carroll had lived in Australia for the past six years and planned to return home to Ireland with his mum when she flew out soon after his release.

He had been living and working in Australia on a visa which was due to expire in early August.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said after O’Carroll started working at a barbershop that was also a tattoo parlour, he had a relationship breakdown and began heavily using drugs.

“My client was essentially acting as a middleman for the supply,” Mr McLennan said.

Judge John Allen KC accepted O’Carroll began using drugs he sourced “from persons associated with your place of employment”.

“It seems that your offending was in context with your own use of drugs,” Judge Allen said.

He agreed O’Carroll’s penalty should be the 377 days already served.

O’Carroll was allowed immediate parole and convictions were recorded.