Police nab man with big bag of meth down pants
AN Ooralea man's decision to try ice at a party led to him injecting the drug regularly while in the grip of addiction.
Mackay
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MITCHELL Lloyd Oliver had a world of opportunities at his feet while working as a fourth year apprentice boilermaker in 2013.
Three years later, after the 27-year-old lost his job and tried ice at a party, he was injecting the addictive drug regularly.
Oliver, of Ooralea, faced Mackay Supreme Court on Thursday, supported by his parents from the public gallery.
He pleaded guilty to possessing 14.89 grams of methamphetamines (ice) in Andergrove on August 3 last year.
On the day in question Oliver was spotted by police on Andergrove Rd, according to Crown prosecutor Dane Marley.
Officers considered Oliver's behaviour somewhat suspicious, as he was crouched down on the ground, so they stopped to find out more.
Oliver gave police a fake name and was fidgeting with his pants which resulted in a search, Mr Marley said.
The search uncovered scales and a sharps container, before Oliver confessed he was also carrying a sunglasses case in his pants which contained ice.
Five clipseal bags containing relatively small amounts of ice were found, alongside a 13.96g (10.70g pure) bag of the crystalline substance.
Additionally, a number of empty clipseal bags were found.
Mr Marley said the ice "quantities were marketable", noting the scales, multiple empty bags and segmented amounts, and that in total there was more than 148 points of ice - 148 possible doses.
However, the prosecutor noted Oliver entered a guilty plea as soon as possible and had already served 184 days in jail before facing court.
Mr Marley said Oliver had a history of drug offending in recent years.
Oliver's defence barrister Scott McLennan, instructed by Morton Lawyers, argued at length Oliver only had the ice for personal use after a $2200 win on the pokies saw him dash out to buy a bag.
He said Oliver bought new scales at a Mount Pleasant Centre shop on the day, as well as clipseal bags - both of which were used to split up amounts for personal use.
Justice James Henry was skeptical though and said it was somewhat incredulous Oliver had been carrying the gear and such a large amount of ice for his own use.
So, Oliver took the witness stand and swore on the Bible the drugs were only for personal use.
Oliver said he carried the items on him to avoid any drugs or paraphernalia being found by his parents, who he lived with.
He said he used clipseal bags, like those found on him, to mix portions of ice with water so it could be injected.
Detailing his client's background, Mr McLennan said Oliver had been working on completing his boilermaker apprenticeship in 2013 when he lost his job.
"That same year he tried methamphetamines at a party," he said.
"In what I'm sure is a very familiar story to your honour, his use of methamphetamines slowly increased.
"By the time he was picked up on the day in question he was using about five to seven points (.5 to .7g) of methamphetamines per day."
Mr McLennan said Oliver bought a 14g bag of ice in the vicinity of Andergrove Tavern before his arrest, because it was cheaper to buy in bulk.
Regarding the scales found, Mr McLennan said Oliver used them to "regulate amounts so he didn't OD (overdose)".
The barrister provided three character references, one of which discussed a possible job opportunity for Oliver.
Mr McLennan also said Oliver, who had no criminal record until he was 23, had been hunting for a mining job after completing relevant courses in prison.
The barrister submitted Oliver was a "strong candidate" for rehabilitation.
Justice Henry encouraged Oliver to change his ways while he was still young and said his future remained bright.
He said ice clearly made Oliver feel "bulletproof", even though it made his life a misery.
Oliver was sentenced to 12 months prison with immediate parole, taking into account time already served.
He'll be under supervision in the community and will have to abide by conditions such as random drug testing.
A conviction was recorded.
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