Dwayne Lee Gray sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court

A man with a 12-page criminal history has been sentenced in court for a string of offending, including breaking his partner’s nose, threatening her with a machete and supplying and possessing dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.

A man with a 12-page criminal history has been sentenced in court for a string of offending, including breaking his partner’s nose, threatening her with a machete and supplying and possessing dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Dwayne Lee Gray, 29, pleaded guilty to 22 charges in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 21, including one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence offence), threatening violence and supplying dangerous drugs.

Gray was also charged with eight counts of possessing dangerous drugs, three counts of possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, two counts of possessing utensils or pipes for use, and one count each of driving without a licence, breach of bail condition, contravene direction or requirement of police, fraud, 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 Gray was in a short relationship with the victim when he offended against her in July and August 2021.

Dwayne Lee Gray, 29, pleaded guilty to 22 charges in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 21, 2022.

Senior Constable Rowe said Gray and the victim had a verbal disagreement at his home in North Rockhampton on July 21 where he yelled at the victim to leave and threw bottles at her.

The victim told Gray she would leave once she had collected her belongings and when she looked up she saw him holding a machete.

Senior Constable Rowe said Gray attempted to “play fight” with the victim at her home in North Rockhampton on August 6 by tickling her body.

The victim asked Gray to stop and pushed his hands away from her.

Senior Constable Rowe said it appeared Gray was becoming angry that the victim wouldn’t “play fight” with him.

The victim slapped Gray in the face and asked him to stop.

Gray then grabbed the victim by the back of her neck and brought her head towards his knee, causing her to black out.

The victim was bleeding from her nose and attended Rockhampton Hospital.

Senior Constable Rowe said the victim suffered a nasal fracture.

She said Gray was arrested on August 23.

Senior Constable Rowe said while Gray was in custody at the Rockhampton watch house, officers saw another person allegedly pass something to him on CCTV cameras.

Officers found a small white balloon with orange strips of buprenorphine (Suboxone) in Gray’s underwear and an empty yellow balloon in his right pants pocket.

Senior Constable Rowe said that in July 2020 police had executed a search warrant at an address on Arthur Street, Depot Hill, in relation to dangerous drugs.

During the search police found 1g of methamphetamine, 3.7g of marijuana, four homemade water pipes, one glass bong, two grinders, a pair of scissors, a number of clip seal bags, a pair of digital scales and a used glass pipe.

Senior Constable Rowe said police saw Gray in a taxi attempting to leave after seeing police at the address.

She said police intercepted the taxi and a search of Gray found two mobile phones, one of which contained messages consistent with supplying dangerous drugs.

Police also found a clip seal bag containing 0.1g of meth.

Senior Constable Rowe said police searched the same home again on September 3 and found 1g of meth, 9.8g of marijuana, 2.4g of marijuana in a bowl, less than 1g of marijuana in the cone piece of a homemade water pipe, a glass pipe, grinder, a number of clip seal bags and digital scales.

She said police also found a mobile phone that belonged to Gray which contained messages consistent with supplying dangerous drugs.

The court heard Gray was also found in possession of less than 1g of marijuana on two separate occasions in June 2021.

Defence lawyer Joanne Madden said her client had a “longstanding drug addiction”.

Ms Madden said since being in prison, her client hadn’t used any drugs.

She said the acts of violence were out of character for her client.

Ms Madden said her client called police after the assault and made admissions at that time.

She said it was not alleged her client made threats he was going to use the machete.

Gray was sentenced to 12 months’ prison with 182 days declared as time served and immediate release on parole.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

The drug paraphernalia was forfeited to police.