DV offender’s disturbing stash of drugs and guns

A Supreme Court judge has described a domestic violence assault a drug trafficker inflicted on his former partner on a dirt road as "shocking".

A Supreme Court judge has described a domestic violence assault a drug trafficker inflicted on his former partner on a dirt road as "shocking".

Joshua Bryan Fields threatened his former partner he was going to "take her out bush" because she wouldn't delete a video of his domestic violence behaviour towards her.

The choking incident that followed on a rural Central Queensland road led to police raiding his Clinton residence where they uncovered guns, drugs, money and ammunition.

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Fields, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs, three possess dangerous drugs, two possess weapons, two possess drug pipes, and one each of an item used in a drug crime, contravene a domestic violence order, deprivation of liberty, choking, possess or acquire a restricted item, possess explosive, possess stolen property, possess cash suspected to be proceeds of crime, and possess controlled drugs.

Rockhampton's Supreme Court judge Justice Graeme Crow said there was a "great deal of criminal conduct" Fields had pleaded guilty to.

He said the trafficking dangerous drugs, being methamphetamines and marijuana, was the most serious, but the domestic violence was also very serious.

The drugs

Police started a drug operation targeting the distribution of meth in the Gladstone region on July 1, 2019, with Fields identified as a suspect.

They searched Fields' Clinton residence on February 21, 2020, with Fields declaring he had "a few balls of meth" in his possession.

He told police he used meth and "occasionally helped other people out".

Fields had $140 cash in his shorts along with 8.821 grams of meth in clip-seal bags, plus $505 cash in his wallet.

Fields also had two flick knives in his waistband.

In his bedroom, police found 0.4 grams of marijuana in a bowl, an iPad, digital scales, handcuffs, electric grinder, manual grinder, two notebooks which contained tick-sheets, two water pipes and two glass pipes.

An iPhone was found on the coffee table in the lounge room.

A Holden Frontier was in the backyard with a parcel in the rear containing knives, swords and four long-arm firearms including an air rifle, Winchester rifle, .223 rimfire rifle and pink camouflaged bolt action rifle loaded with a full magazine of ammunition and in a pink fabric gun case.

Police also located a tin of ammunition including one .22 round, 101 .223 rounds, 14 shotgun rounds, 59 .243 rounds and 28 .303 rounds.

The serial numbers were filed off all firearms, but none were identified as stolen.

A homemade spud gun was also located at Fields' residence, along with a Samsung mobile phone and a Suzuki vehicle of which the VIN was sanded off.

"The firearms are of great concern," Justice Crow said.

Analysis of the phones and iPad indicated Fields had been trafficking meth and marijuana between October 23, 2019 and February 21, 2020, and had outstanding drug debts owed to him of up to $1300.

The evidence also showed Fields had three suppliers and on one occasion, exchanged assets.

Police were able to identify 30 customers with five being for marijuana.

Fields also kept custody of a motor bike for one customer's outstanding drug debt.

Fields was remanded in custody until he was granted bail on March 27, 2020.

Two months later, police watched him drive into a petrol station on Aerodrome Road, Clinton, and enter the shop in such a manner which suggested he was avoiding police.

When they searched him, he had 0.2g of crystal meth in his pocket, Viagra, knuckleduster and $530 cash.

While with police, he received SMSes which indicated he was on a drug delivery run.

Fields told police he was on his way to give a friend the Viagra. He was remanded in custody until his sentencing.

Fields was intercepted by police underneath an underpass near the Dawson Highway and Hervey Range Road, Gladstone, about 6pm on August 15, 2019.

He was pushing a motorised scooter with plates attached to the rear.

During a search, police located 10.2 grams of marijuana and digital scales in the storage compartment of the scooter.

The domestic violence

Fields had been in a seven-year relationship with his now former partner and they had one child together.

The pair had shopped at a tobacconist about noon on February 21, 2020, when Fields picked a fight over the victim wanting to pay for a lighter just so she could take it with her when she returned to her Gold Coast residence.

The pair were in the car during the argument.

The victim, out of fear, started recording the incident on her iPad, which angered Fields and he demanded she stop the recording. She refused.

While at traffic lights on the Dawson Highway, the woman attempted to exit the vehicle, but Fields struggled with her over her handbag which contained the iPad.

Items fell out of the handbag.

Fields pulled over to the side of the road and followed the woman, negotiating with her to get back to the car, which she declined, saying she did not feel safe with Fields.

Fields agreed to take her to a nearby service station instead of back to his house.

Fields told her to delete the video, but she refused unless he agreed to give her 50/50 custody of the child and Fields agreed.

The woman said she would delete the video when they got home, but Fields told the victim she couldn't leave the vehicle until she deleted the video.

Fields continued to threaten her.

She entered 000 in her phone and Fields snatched it from her and threatened to throw it from the window.

Fields told the woman he was going to take her "out bush" and he then turned onto Red Rover Road, which is an unsealed dirt road.

Once he pulled over, the woman exited the car with Fields following her - running after her and angry.

Fields yelled "I want you to delete that f--ing video now or I'm going to smash your iPad to pieces. I want you to delete the f--king video now."

The woman replied no, he wasn't getting it.

She was holding the bags with both hands, she stepped backwards and tripped.

Fields grabbed a strap of the handbag causing it to tear.

His actions caused the woman to fall down to the ground.

"You pinned her down and used one hand to grab her throat," Justice Crow said.

This restricted her breath. She tried to bite his leg to defend herself, but was unsuccessful.

She thrashed her legs and arms around in an attempt to free herself from his grip.

She kicked his sunglasses off his face, along with a silver necklace and bracelet.

"Her efforts were fruitless in defence," Justice Crow said.

The woman started to black out, her vision faded, her eyes closed. She was unable to talk, scream or move.

The woman estimated Fields choked her for about one minute.

Fields released his grip, said sorry and that he did not want to have to do that.

Fields then told her again to delete the video or he would choke her again.

"You're lucky I don't strangle you to death, c---," Fields told the woman.

The woman was gasping for air. She agreed to do whatever Fields wanted and begged him not to go near her again.

Fields stood over her and watched her delete the video.

The woman did not want to get back in the car with Fields, but he refused to give back her mobile phone unless she did.

On the drive back, Fields became paranoid she had not deleted all the videos and became angry, blaming her for what he had done to her.

When they arrived back at Fields' Clinton residence, the woman took her phone and left.

She called police who picked her up and she told them what had happened, which had been recorded.

Police went to the choking site and located Fields' broken jewellery.

Police then searched Fields' home and took him to the watch house.

Fields had grazes and gravel rash consistent with the woman's version of events, while she had a lump on the back of her head, torn dirty white T-shirt and other injuries.

The court heard Fields was a qualified cabinet maker and had worked as a stevedore.

He wrote a letter of apology to his victim.

In another letter, Fields wrote drugs had destroyed his life, his family and he had nothing left.

Justice Crow described the domestic violence episode as a "shocking assault".

"It's difficult to comprehend how people can't understand that being violent with a partner or former partner is not going to solve anything," he said.

"It leads to, in many cases, death."

Justice Crow said due to the Parole Board delays, if he gave Fields an immediate parole eligibility date, his parole application would not be looked at until at least February 2022.

He added with the dates continually changing, it could be March, April or June 2022 before it was assessed.

Justice Crow sentenced Fields to five years prison for the trafficking, ordering it be suspended after he served 20 months with a five year operational period.

He then sentenced him to three years prison to run concurrent with the trafficking sentence, declared 424 days presentence custody as time served and set parole release on December 21, 2021.

QUEENSLAND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES

DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811

DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636

1800RESPECT national hotline: [phone]

Helem Yumba CQ Healing Centre is open Monday to Friday, between 8.30am to 4.30pm, at 14 Fitzroy Street, Rockhampton.

For more information, go to www.cqhealing.com.au.

To report domestic and family violence to police via Policelink, go to www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.

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Originally published as DV offender: 'You're lucky I don't strangle you to death'