COPD sufferer Gene Louis Richardson, 38, trafficked drugs

A former miner who turned to using and trafficking illicit drugs after his marriage broke down may die in jail. The reason why was revealed in court.

Drugs and cash, cocaine generic.

A Central Queensland former miner turned to using and trafficking cocaine, MDMA and LSD after receiving a deadly medical diagnosis and his marriage breaking down.

Gene Louis Richardson, 38, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2018 and his last lung test showed he only had 38 per cent capacity.

Following the test, he trafficked drugs to 83 contacts suspected to be his customers and suppliers from April to October 2021 using encrypted apps.

Justice Graeme Crow said Richardson’s mortality could be tested while he serves jail time for his crimes.

Richardson will spend at least the next 18 months behind bars after receiving an eight-year prison term with parole eligibility on November 13, 2024 for his crimes.

They included possessing 500g of cocaine at less than 50 per cent purity, that had been mailed in two parcels scheduled for pick-up at Rockhampton’s East St Australia Post lockers on October 20, 2021.

Postal employees had detected the drugs and notified police.

Police officers arrested Richardson, searched him and his car, and seized mobile phones which revealed his trafficking.

Messages showed Richardson received 1560 LSD tablets, 56g of MDMA, 1000 tablets of MDMA and 696g of cocaine during the trafficking period.

There were also messages about supplying magic mushrooms and supplying $178,000 worth of drugs on tick.

Officers also searched Richardson’s home where they found a taser, cartridge, cocaine purity testing kit, restricted drugs, clip-seal bags, scales, glass pipe, heat sealer and parcel post bags.

At one stage, he was packaging and mailing cocaine on behalf of others to pay off a $15,000-odd drug debt, making $30 per gram he sent.

Richardson only had one minor entry on his criminal record when he pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs, possessing more than 2g of a schedule one drug, and three counts of supplying drugs.

Defence barrister Scott Lynch told Rockhampton Supreme Court that a lung transplant was not an option for his client as his COPD was genetic.

Richardson’s condition requires him to use an oxygen machine 12-hours a day and for the prison to manage his infection risk.