Jackson Barry Meikle sentenced in court for trafficking dangerous drugs

A young Rockhampton father busted for trafficking, supplied drugs almost 200 times and communicated with his clients through SMS, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. The full details of his offending and his client base were revealed in court. Read them here.

A young Rockhampton father started smoking marijuana when he was about 12 years old after being introduced to the drug through his mother’s friends and their children and liked what it did to his brain.

He has avoided serving time behind bars despite trafficking dangerous drugs for about 18.5 months, supplying marijuana 196 times to 65 people.

Jackson Barry Meikle, 21, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on June 8 to three counts each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, and one count each of trafficking dangerous drugs and producing dangerous drugs.

Crown prosecutor Matthew Sutton said Meikle trafficked marijuana for about 18.5 months from January 2020.

Jackson Barry Meikle, 21, appeared in Rockhampton District Court on June 8, 2022.

Mr Sutton said Meikle supplied the drug 196 times, 144 of which were actual supplies and 52 were offers to supply.

He said Meikle sold almost 2kg of the drug for about $29,000.

He said 69 people bought drugs from Meikle, who communicated with them through SMS, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, and described the business as “rudimentary”.

The court heard 29 of the customers were one-off supplies.

Mr Sutton said police raided Meikle’s home on July 2, 2021, and found 10 marijuana plants in a grow tent in the house, 58 THC gummies, a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

He said when Meikle was arrested, police also found three MDMA tablets in his wallet.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden said her client started smoking marijuana when he was about 12 years old.

“His mother’s friends and their children introduced him to it,” Ms Marsden said.

“He said he liked what it did to his brain and he has become a regular user since.

“He was using about 1.5 ounces a week at the time of the police raid.”

Ms Marsden said her client started using “party drugs” at 17 years old and was not addicted to them and had not used them since the police raid.

She said her client’s friends were all drug users at the time.

“He did tell me now many of friends had stopped using to get jobs in the mines and have young families so he is finding it easier to remove himself from that lifestyle,” she said.

“He is trying to see a doctor about medical use.”

Ms Marsden said her client was cooperative with police during the search.

She said her client instructed he didn’t do it to make a huge profit.

“It just happened,” Ms Marsden said.

“He had an interest in plants and had been growing sunflowers firstly in the tents and then got into growing marijuana.

“He started initially for himself but it expanded to friends.

“It was by word of mouth and friends that the business developed.”

Meikle was sentenced to two years and nine months’ prison, suspended for four years, and ordered to three years’ probation with criminal convictions recorded.