Mackay meth lab: Jarrod Thomas Hau pleads guilty to drug offences

A Mackay father was busted with a makeshift meth lab on his kitchen table as well as a variety of drug items. See the photos of what police found when they searched his home.

A Mackay father busted with a makeshift meth lab on his kitchen table told police he was “too dumb” to produce the drugs himself.

Jarrod Thomas Hau blamed “someone he wouldn’t name” when police searched his home on August 1, 2020.

Jarrod Hau told police he was too dumb to produce meth.

Mackay District Court heard he had been pulled over earlier that day and police had found the 38 year old with meth, marijuana and other drugs items.

As a result, officers also raided his home and found “a makeshift laboratory set-up on the kitchen dining table”, crown prosecutor Julie Aylward said.

The court heard the items included a glass cup filled with liquid and a filter paper taped in place – his fingerprints were inside the glass.

Hau said not all the items on the table were his.

“Someone who he wouldn’t name had been at his house earlier that day and they had washed the methylamphetamine to remove some of the contaminants,” Ms Aylward said.

One of the items included a glass cup filled with liquid and a filter paper taped in place.

“He then gave police a full explanation of the difference between cutting and washing and that washing involved putting paper over the cup as a filter, putting acetone over the drugs and that washes away the contaminants.

“He said he would let other people do that in exchange for drugs for himself but he was too dumb to produce the drug himself.”

Hau pleaded guilty to producing methylamphetamines and possessing drug items.

Jarrod Thomas Hau pleaded guilty to producing methylamphetamines and possessing drug items.

The court heard Hau had been jailed for 15 months with immediate parole for the charges that arose when he was pulled over, but the producing was dealt with as a different charge and as such his parole had been cancelled.

He has spent about 3.5 months in custody.

Jarrod Hau told police someone else was washing the methylamphetamines.

Hau’s solicitor Mark Williams, of Potts Lawyers, said his client planned to apply to the parole board for release.

“It is blatantly obvious you have been in the grip of drugs since 2015,” Judge Julie Dick said.

The court heard before that he had been a good worker and was close to his family until there were a number of factors including death and his parents separating.

Hau told police the difference between washing and cutting meth.

Judge Dick noted Hau had made serious attempts at rehabilitation and had previously engaged with Lives Lived Well receiving a positive report.

“I think you have good intentions and other judges have recognised that,” Judge Dick said.

The court heard had Hau been dealt with for the meth lab at the same time as the other offences he would have only received a slightly higher jail term.

As such Judge Dick jailed him for two months with immediate parole release. His full-time release date is April 2022.