Reece Stuart William Hogg pleads guilty to 40 offences

A convicted drug dealer has pleaded guilty to a slew of charges including drug possession, multiple weapon offences, reckless driving and his 15th licence ban offence.

Reece Stuart William Hogg was arrested as part of police operation Limerick.

A convicted Mackay dealer will spend 12 months in jail after he was caught with a shortened weapon in public, eight months after police busted him peddling drugs.

Reece Stuart William Hogg recently pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to 40 offences spanning from March to November 2022 and included drugs, multiple weapons, reckless driving and his 15th licence ban.

It began when he was charged as part of police operation Limerick, which targeted dangerous drug supply in the Mackay region and ended with 58 people, including Reece Stuart William Hogg, arrested on 293 charges after raids across the region.

The court heard police searched Hogg’s home on March 14, 2022 and found buprenorphine, Xanax, Viagra, a loaded and shortened .22 calibre rifle, handgun, gas powered handgun, knuckle dusters, a knife, ammunition and $12,149.69 in case.

Police from the Mackay District Tactical Crime Squad have charged 58 people with more than 293 offences. Picture: Queensland Police Service

The money was linked to the supply of dangerous drugs, which the 22-year-old had also been charged with. The court heard those earlier matters were dealt with in Mackay District Court in August 2022 and he was released on a 12-month suspended jail term and two-year probation order.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said she had to balance totality and question if Hogg would have received a harsher penalty had all the matters been dealt at the same time, “and the answer is no”.

Hogg was released from custody on August 22, 2022 and two months later he was back offending.

The court heard on October 25 he failed to properly take a turn and drove onto the wrong side of the road, forcing another car to take evasive action.

Hogg ran into the back of the other vehicle, which spun out of control and hit a power pole before flipping.

“Nobody was injured (but) that was good luck rather than good management,” Ms Hartigan said.

Reece Stuart William Hogg pleaded guilty to his 15th disqualified driving charge.

The court heard his reckless driving was not deliberate but he did have prior entries on his criminal history for dangerous driving.

His vehicle had also been fitted with false plates, and was unregistered and uninsured.

“The situation was wholly unsafe,” Ms Hartigan said.

He was also disqualified from driving at the time, the maximum penalty of which is 18 months’ jail.

“I can’t think of someone who deserved the maximum penalty more than you,” Ms Hartigan said.

“This is your 15th disqualified drive and you have three prior unlicensed driving … so it’s serious.”

As a result his licence will be disqualified until April 2028.

The 22 year old was jailed for 18 months but must spend one year behind bars after he was caught possessing a shortened firearm in public.

Hogg temporarily left his car at Carmila service station in November, but police found and searched it where they uncovered a bow and arrow, stolen hand tools and registration plates, drug utensils and ammunition.

The court heard police found Hogg the next day at a bus stop, where he fled without his backpack, inside which officers found meth, used needles, ammunition and a shortened firearm.

Ms Hartigan said as a result police charged him with carrying a loaded weapon.

Under Queensland weapons legislation, anyone convicted of possessing a shortened firearm in public must spend one year behind bars.

The court heard he had already served eight-and-a-half months in jail on remand.

He was jailed for 18 months with parole eligibility on July 9, 2023.