Mackay man Sloan Phillip Gardiner sentenced for meth possession, weapons, unregistered firearm

A Queensland carpenter and father of two who previously went ‘crazy, mad, and dangerous’ on a meth-fuelled armed robbery will have to make a choice between his love for drugs or love for his young daughters.

Sloan Phillip Gardiner - pictured here in 2018 - faced the Mackay Supreme Court on Monday, September 30.

A Mackay father-of-two with a tragic childhood has learned his fate after being caught with vials of methamphetamine and a gun with the serial number scratched off.

Sloan Phillip Gardiner, 30, is no stranger to the Queensland criminal justice system, having faced drug offences in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020, and a more severe conviction of armed robbery with violence in May 2024, which he is currently imprisoned for.

Mackay Supreme Court heard unresolved trauma had sent him down the path of taking drugs to dull his pain.

His upbringing included suicides of the main father figures in his life and abuse after attempting to find peace as a child in Western Australia, where he was also stabbed.

He also witnessed his mother’s addiction to methamphetamine in his childhood home — which she had since beat, rekindling the relationship with her son.

Defence lawyer Marty Longhurst said his client “was not a hopeless criminal” but a man with an anti-social history who despite his challenges managed to work and complete his trade qualifications as a carpenter.

Gardiner pleaded guilty to his charges of drug possession and weapon offences, including unregistered firearms, at the earliest opportunity.

During a search of his Mackay unit on August 11, 2023, police found a number of vials containing 8.43g of “pure meth”, glass pipes in a glasses case, and an air rifle with the serial number scratched off.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence argued Gardiner was a “mature man” who was on bail for his armed robbery charges when he was caught with the gun and drugs, and pushed for his sentence to be added to the time he was already serving — six additional months in prison without parole.

Justice Graeme Crow said his armed robbery was an example of what young men out of their heads on drugs will do — “dangerous, wild, crazy things”.

But he acknowledged Gardiner’s past, noting young people exposed to drugs at a young age in their home almost inevitably would take drugs themselves.

“You have two daughters, 10 and 2,” Justice Crow said.

“If you bring drugs in the house while they’re there, they’ll have the same problems. It will go on and on.”

On his traumatic upbringing, Justice Crow said Gardiner made the choice to deal with the obvious pain through drugs.

“That is putting fuel on the fire. It’s not dealing with it,” Justice Crow said.

“It’s just making you crazy, mad and dangerous.”

The court heard in Gardiner’s favour was an offer of employment as a concreter, with his boss well aware of the charges he faced.

“You’re trade qualified, have a job offer, and have a partner and children to motivate you,” Justice Crow said.

“Do you love drugs? Or do you love your children? Time will tell.”

Gardiner was convicted on all charges and jailed for 18 months, cumulative to his current jail term. His new parole eligibility date was pushed forward four months to March 1, 2025.