Gladstone’s Aaron Demos jailed for meth possession

When a former industrial painter refused to move his hands away from his crotch, police became very suspicious.

Aaron Demos was in court after he was busted with more than 10 grams of methamphetamines.

A former industrial painter who suffered isocyanate paint poisoning was busted with more than 10 grams of methamphetamines.

Aaron Demos, 32, was sitting in the passenger seat of his housemate’s car late last year at Barney Point when police declared a search, the Supreme Court in Rockhampton heard today.

Justice Graeme Crow said police were at a Barney Point address on December 1, 2023, where Demos was sitting in the passenger seat of his housemate’s vehicle.

He said police declared a search of the vehicle and the people in it.

Justice Crow said Demos exited the vehicle clutching his crotch and police told him to move his hands away from his crotch but he refused to.

He said police told Demos to widen his stance but Demos refused to, stating he had back and shoulder pain.

Demos was taken to the watchhouse for a strip search where he again refused to widen his stance.

When Demos’s pants were removed, police observed he was concealing something under his scrotum – 13.757 grams of crystal meth of which 10.551g was pure meth.

Crown prosecutor Tiana Lowry said Demos was taken into custody for 21 days before he was granted bail, but he committed further offences and was taken back into custody on July 26, 2024.

She said he had 17 pages of criminal history across Victoria and Queensland.

The court heard only the last two pages were Queensland including a sentence in the Gladstone District Court in December 2021 for assaulting his neighbour for not returning his father’s scanner set.

Defence barrister Rachel Hew said Demos, who experienced childhood trauma, had struggled with drugs since leaving school in grade eight.

She said he had worked as an industrial painter and painter most of his life, until 2022 when he suffered isocyanate paint poisoning.

Ms Hew said Demos also had a serious motorcycle accident which has left him with arm mobility issues.

She said since his incarceration this time, he has been clean of drugs, rediscovered his love of cooking and has been exercising daily.

Ms Hew said Demos was supported in court his father and his father’s partner, along with his sister.

She said her client had been offered a place in his father’s home, which was drug free, and a job, when he was released from custody.

Demos pleaded guilty to one count of possessing more than two grams of a schedule one drug and was sentenced to 2.5 years prison with 121 days pre-sentence custody declared as time already served and parole release set for January 3, 2025.