Daniel Walter Taylor in Rockhampton court for possessing methamphetamine

A grandfather who was caught with more than 25g of meth during a police search fell into heavy drug use, smoking 1g of the drug a day, after suffering a serious work injury and being left by his wife.

Daniel Walter Taylor leaving Rockhampton Courthouse. Picture: Aden Stokes

A grandfather who was caught with more the 25g of methamphetamine during a police search fell into heavy drug use, smoking 1g of the drug a day, after suffering a serious work injury and being left by his wife, a court has heard.

The Supreme Court in Rockhampton heard Daniel Walter Taylor, 42, supplied marijuana ten times to five different customers between November 21, 2021, and May 8, 2022.

The drug supplies were revealed when police seized Taylor’s phone during a search warrant that was executed at his home on May 25, 2022.

Justice Graeme Crow said during the search, Taylor, who was born and raised in Gladstone, told police he would smoke marijuana and meth in his shed and that he used meth to function and was smoking 1g of the drug a day.

Justice Crow said inside the shed, police found multiple bags of marijuana weighing 179g and 25.68g of pure meth in a container.

Police also found a mobile phone, digital scales, water pipes, glass pipe, grinder and a notebook resembling a tick sheet.

Justice Crow said Taylor told police the drugs were his and that he would “share meth with mates, pulling in together to get meth and coming back and smoking at your house”.

He said Taylor further told police he didn’t sell meth.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said some of the offences before the court were committed while Taylor was on a suspended sentence.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said his client was married, had two children and lived a normal productive life and then in 2019 “a number of issues arose”.

The court heard Taylor was working as a boilermaker in Gladstone when he suffered “serious” shoulder and back injuries at his workplace.

“He was suffering physically, he could no longer work,” Mr McLennan said.

“Soon after he separated from his wife. He had been in a relationship with her since he was 16 years old.

“He became depressed, couldn’t work and was in significant pain and succumbed to an offer to use methamphetamine.”

The court heard using meth gave Taylor some “temporary relief” and that he struggled with that drug use from 2019 to 2023.

Mr McLennan said his client had taken a number of steps towards rehabilitation.

He said his client had undergone back surgery, started his own business, was receiving prescription medication for his pain, had a new partner and was now a grandfather.

The court heard Taylor had also cut contact with his former drug associates.

Taylor pleaded guilty on May 23 to ten counts of supplying dangerous drugs, one count each of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs in excess of 2g, possessing a thing used in the commission of supplying dangerous drugs, possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, and two counts possessing utensils or pipes that had been used.

Justice Crow sentenced Taylor to three years prison with immediate parole.