Cocaine, cannabis, meth: Drug offenders face Central Queensland courts in numbers
With illegal drug use rife in society, more and more people are appearing in Central Queensland courts. Here’s some of the recent offenders busted.
Police & Courts
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Drug use is rife in society and here are 21 people who pleaded guilty in Central Queensland courts in recent weeks to drug or drug utensil offending.
CONVICTION RECORDED
David Anthony Froschauer, 37, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 20 to possessing a drug utensil.
The court heard that during a search warrant executed at Froschauer’s Yeppoon residence on September 28, police found a water pipe in the bathroom.
With previous drug offending on his criminal history, Froschauer was fined $200 and a conviction was recorded.
Amie Louise Hutton, 29, was found in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia when police searched her home in Glendale on September 1 at 7am.
Hutton pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 20 to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing utensils or pipes that had been used.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said inside a pink makeup bag in Hutton’s bedroom, police found two small clip seal bags containing about 1g of methamphetamine and a glass pipe.
Defence lawyer Felicity Davis said her client, who worked as a retail manager at Bartlett’s Tavern, had been forced to stop using meth.
Hutton was ordered to six months’ probation with criminal convictions recorded.
The drug paraphernalia was forfeited to police.
Tammie Maree Wood, 50, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 to possessing methamphetamine, cannabis, and drug utensils.
The court heard that police executed a search warrant at Wood’s Biloela residence on August 10 and they found .1g of meth and 3g of cannabis, as well as pipes, scales and a grinder.
Solicitor Richard Parks said Wood was a disability pensioner and Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale noted that Wood had a “significant history” of drug offending.
Ms Beckinsale sentenced Wood to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for 12 months.
Rodney Eric Blanchard, 29, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 to possessing methamphetamines and a glass pipe used to smoke the drug.
He was fined $500 and a conviction was recorded.
Capricorn Coast couple Scott Anthony Funch, 45, and Karma Jane Lawson, 38, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 13 to drug offences after police executed a search warrant at their Tanby Road home.
Funch was ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid community service (with conditions) within 12 months and a conviction was recorded.
Lawson was fined $1200 and a conviction was recorded.
Megan Levina Ann Keiler, 47, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 6 to cannabis possession.
She was placed on 15 months’ probation which included drug counselling and rehabilitation, and a conviction was recorded.
Tia Nicole Muir, 30, and her fiance Shannon Lee Gellwiler, 25, were sentenced in Rockhampton District Court on October 5, 2022, after entering guilty pleas to drug offences.
Muir pleaded guilty to eight counts of supplying a dangerous drug and one of possessing a dangerous drug.
Gellwiler pleaded guilty to nine counts of supplying a dangerous drug, two of possessing a dangerous drug and one of possessing a restricted item.
Gellwiler was sentenced to 461 days’ prison and 461 days pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.
Muir was sentenced to 12 months’ prison and Judge Jeff Clarke ordered her immediate release on parole.
Kurt Benjamin Jaspers, 22, pleaded guilty on September 23 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of trafficking an illicit drug, two of possessing a dangerous drug, one of possessing drug utensils and one of possessing items suspected of being used in the commission of a crime.
Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced Jaspers, who had been before Gladstone and Rockhampton magistrates courts twice in the past for possessing drugs or utensils, to two years’ prison with immediate parole and fined him $750.
NO CONVICTION RECORDED
Daryl William Sansom, 27, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 20 to possessing cannabis, drugs utensils (x2), and possessing a weapon.
The court heard that police executed a search warrant at Sansom’s Yeppoon residence on September 28.
Police prosecutor Stacey Bain said during that search, police found three clip-seal bags containing a total of 11g of cannabis, as well as drug utensils and knuckle dusters.
The court heard Sansom had an eight-page criminal history which did not contain any drug offending.
Acting Magistrate Ron Muirhead fined Sansom $800 and did not record a conviction.
Tyrone Matthew John Smallwood, 21, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 20 to producing cannabis and possessing drug utensils (x2).
The court heard police found eight small cannabis seedlings growing at Smallwood’s Yeppoon residence on September 28.
The prosecution said Smallwood told police that he had planted the seedlings and watered them.
The court heard that Smallwood had a one-page criminal history which included drug offending.
Representing himself in court, Smallwood told Acting Magistrate Ron Muirhead that he was working full-time now and “trying to stay on a good path.”
Mr Muirhead fined Smallwood $750 and did not record a conviction.
Cheyne Wesley Hall, 19, was found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia when police searched a home on Thozet Road, Koongal, on September 14 about 11.45pm.
Hall pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 19 to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils or pipes that had been used and possessing anything used in the commission of crime defined in Part 2.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said police found Hall in a small room underneath the house and that when Hall opened the door to police they noted the smell of burnt marijuana.
Senior Constable Rowe said through the open door police discovered a number of drug items by chance, which were seized.
She said police found an amount of finely chopped marijuana in a large red bowl beside the bed, as well as a hand grinder and two bongs.
Defence lawyer Brandon Selic said his client co-operated with police.
Hall was placed on a Good Behaviour Bond for four months with a condition he attends a drug diversion program, and set recognisance at $600.
Hall was also Fined $150 with no criminal convictions recorded.
The drug paraphernalia was forfeited to police.
Kye-Jeremy Morrison, 20, was found in possession of MDMA when he was searched by police on October 15 about 11pm.
Morrison pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 19 to one count of possessing dangerous drugs.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said police were alerted by security at a licensed premise that Morrison had been removed from the premises after being observed in the bathrooms with drug material.
Senior Constable Rowe said police spoke with Morrison, who stated he was in possession of illicit substance and had a clip seal bag concealed in his pants.
She said police searched Morrison and found a clip seal bag with a brown rock material weighing 0.5g in his underpants.
Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client, who worked as a support worker, was staying away from drugs and that it had been a huge wake up call for him.
Morrison was placed on a Good Behaviour Bond for four months with a condition he attends a drug diversion program, and set recognisance at $600 with no criminal conviction recorded.
Joel Anthony Brown, 31, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 to possessing cannabis and drugs utensils.
The court heard that police found Brown with a small amount of cannabis – less than 1g – and a pipe at Biloela on August 1.
Representing himself in court, Brown told Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale that he was remorseful for his offending and that he was working full-time.
Ms Beckinsale fined Brown $400 and did not record a conviction.
Molly Walker, 25, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 to possessing cannabis.
The court heard police executed a search warrant at Walker’s Sixth Avenue residence at Theodore on the morning of September 3 and found 1g of cannabis in her possession.
Solicitor Richard Parks said Walker was currently receiving Centrelink benefits and studying aged care.
Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale placed Walker on a six-month good behaviour order with a $400 recognisance.
Phoebe May Lawardorn, 18, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 to possessing cannabis and disqualified driving.
She was fined $1550, disqualified from driving for two years, and no criminal conviction was recorded in relation to the drug possession charge.
Daniel Robert Heath, 37, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 to producing cannabis after police found a drug-growing set-up in his bedroom at home.
He was placed on a 12-month good behaviour order with a $1000 recognisance and no conviction was recorded.
Quentyn Raven Pinch, 21, pleaded guilty to numerous charges in Biloela Magistrates Court on October 12 including drugs charges.
He was fined $1150 and no conviction was recorded.
Harrison James Tyler, 18, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 6 to cocaine possession and possessing currency used to consume a dangerous drug.
He was fined $900 and no conviction was recorded.
Timothy Francis Buckley, 40, was found in possession of cocaine and psilocybin when he was searched by police at the Zodiac Nightclub on June 25 at 12.40am.
Buckley pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 4 to two counts of possessing dangerous drugs.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said police viewed CCTV footage at the nightclub which showed Buckley handing people pills from a small container from his pocket near the toilets.
Sergeant Ongheen said police searched Buckley and found a metal container in his left pocket.
He said inside the container police found a clip seal bag containing 08.g of cocaine and two green pills with WhatsApp logos, which contained psilocybin.
He said Buckley told police he found it in the bathroom of the nightclub.
Defence lawyer Caitlin Dee said her client, who lived in the Sunshine Coast area, was in Rockhampton for a scaffolding job with UGL.
Ms Dee said her client was at the Zodiac Nightclub and wanted to “have a bit of a party”.
“He purchased a few drugs,” she said.
Buckley was fined $1500 with no criminal convictions recorded.
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