Benjamin Micheal Williams in Rockhampton court for trafficking dangerous drugs

A man who ran a drug operation in Mackay, bringing in meth from the Gold Coast in 3kg shipments, sold methamphetamines to 10 people who then ran their own independent trafficking businesses.

Benjamin Micheal Williams.

A man who ran a drug trafficking operation in Mackay sold methamphetamines to 10 people who then ran their own independent trafficking businesses.

Benjamin Micheal Williams, 41, pleaded guilty in the Rockhampton Supreme Court on April 17 to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs.

Williams also pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a weapon category D/H or R, and one count each of possessing a thing used in connection with trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing a weapon category A/B or M, possessing utensils or pipes that had been used, possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, possessing property suspected of having been the proceeds of an offence under the drugs misuse act and possessing explosives.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said Williams trafficked dangerous drugs for eight months between March 12, 2020 and November 26, 2020 at Mackay.

The court heard Williams trafficked meth and cocaine, both of those at a wholesale level, and that he also trafficked ecstasy and marijuana, with the marijuana at a much lower level.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said Williams transported drugs to Mackay, or arranged for drugs to be transported to Mackay, mostly from the Gold Coast.

Chief Justice Bowskill said Williams sold meth in ounce quantities to 10 people who then ran their own independent trafficking businesses.

The court heard Williams usually purchased 3kg of meth at a time, however, Mr Phillips added it was not alleged this occurred daily or weekly, but that it was more than once.

Chief Justice Bowskill said Williams made a net profit of about $48,000 each time he replenished his meth stock.

She said Williams was unemployed at the time and Mr Phillips added that $87,762 cash was deposited over 36 transactions.

Mr Phillips said there was violence and other debt recovery methods used and Chief Justice Bowskill added Williams took many precautions to avoid coming to the attention of police, including using hire vehicles hired in friend’s names, using cipher phones and storing drugs in various hiding places.

Chief Justice Bowskill said Williams came to the attention of the police on five occasions during the trafficking period and was found in possession of drugs and money.

She said Williams was also found in possession of a number of weapons, including a taser, a sawn-off shotgun and a crossbar.

On March 13, 2020 Williams was found with a small quantity of meth, some kind of steroid and $5000.

A hotel room on the Gold Coast was searched on June 21, 2020 and Williams was found with 12.9g of pure cocaine and $8000.

In July 2020 Williams was searched in his car and was found in possession of 68.6g of pure meth, 8.8g of pure cocaine and 195g of MDMA pills.

Williams’ home was searched on November 25, 2020 and he was found in possession of just over 13g of pure meth and $15,000.

Chief Justice Bowskill said Williams was arrested and remanded in custody after that last search.

Defence barrister Scott Lynch said his client was addicted at the time and the court heard he was using meth.

Mr Lynch said his client was otherwise a person of “reasonably good repute”.

“He owned a house, had a family, had tremendous support of his father, had always worked, but unfortunately became involved in drugs at a very late stage and that came to him becoming addicted and then him selling,” he said.

He said his client had “worked arduously to improve his position” and that he had “very good prospects of rehabilitation”.

“He has severed his ties with that community,” he said.

Chief Justice Bowskill sentenced Williams to 9.5 years’ prison, with parole eligibility on January 24, 2024 and 873 days of pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.

The drug paraphernalia, weapons, and $20,185 were forfeited to the Crown.