Mum's death leads to downward spiral of using drugs

Then he turned to running Narcotics Anonymous meetings in prison

SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE DISCUSS USE WITH YOUR EDITOR - Brent Nathan Jones, 31, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton on Thursday to two counts of possessing a dangerous drug in excess of two grams, one of possessing a weapon, one of stealing, one receive tainted property, one possess items suspected to be proceeds of crime and two of possessing drug utensils.

THE death of a mine worker's mother from lung cancer in 2017 led to a downward spiral including using methamphetamines.

Brent Nathan Jones, 31, (pictured) pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton yesterday to two counts of possessing a dangerous drug in excess of two grams, one of possessing a weapon, one of stealing, one of receiving tainted property, one of possessing items suspected to be proceeds of crime and two of possessing drug utensils.

The court heard since Jones was remanded in custody in August 2018, he had engaged with Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs services, along with Narcotics Anonymous where he was chairing meetings before sentencing this week.

Police raided Jones's Frenchville unit on August 5, 2018, at 5pm.

Jones shared with co-offender Laurie Rene Petersen, who has already been sentenced by Justice Graeme Crow for the 16.7g of methamphetamines buried in gravel under an air-conditioning unit and the $19,950 cash he ran out the back door of the unit when police knocked on the door.

Jones declared two clip-seal bags of meth, weighing 2.533g and 2.51g pure, along with 10 empty clip-seal bags inside a magnetic box on the dining table.

He also had a Taser in his backpack, along with two glass pipes and a further .198g of meth.

Ten days later, Jones was intercepted driving after staff at the Mayfair Hotel in Emerald reported him and an associate for not paying for more than $100 of minibar items.

Police located a tick book, $2850 cash in a sock, a pipe containing residue, 9.582g of meth, a locked key safe which had been stolen a week prior and 14.13g meth inside the safe.

Justice Crow sentenced Jones to a four-year prison term, suspended after 363 days (presentence custody) with a four-year operational period.

Originally published as Mum's death leads to downward spiral of using drugs