Nathan James Storey sentenced in court for supplying dangerous drugs

A drug supplier is “extremely frightened” of going to prison after claiming he was hit in the head with a hammer by a person he owed a debt to, leaving him with a hole in his skull. Here’s what happened in court.

A drug supplier is “extremely frightened” of going to prison after claiming he was hit in the head with a hammer by a person he owed a drug debt to, leaving him with a hole in his skull, a court has heard.

Nathan James Storey, 27, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on June 13 to 15 counts of supplying dangerous drugs.

Crown prosecutor Caleb Theunissen said Storey’s offending came to light during Operation Sierra Decompress.

Mr Theunissen said the 15 drug supplies were alleged through evidence obtained from Storey’s phone, which was seized after he was detained by police for a search of his car for drugs.

Nathan James Storey, 27, appeared in Rockhampton District Court on June 13, 2022.

He said Storey supplied, or agreed to supply, dangerous drugs to 11 people between September 6 and 25, 2020 and that the supplies were alleged to be commercial.

Judge Jeff Clarke noted Storey supplied, or agreed to supply, marijuana nine times, methamphetamine five times and cocaine once.

Mr Theunissen said three of the supplies were actual supplies of a dangerous drug, which Judge Clarke noted was a Schedule 1 drug.

He said all the supplies were street level amounts, ranging from 33g of marijuana to a few points of meth.

He said Storey was on probation at the time of committing 12 of the supplies after being sentenced to nine months’ probation in Rockhampton Magistrates Court for other drug offending on September 10, 2020 and that he acknowledged that to police.

He said from Storey’s most recent court report dated October 21, 2021 he had tested positive to numerous drugs, failed to report adequately, failed to attend any of the appointments arranged to address his substance abuse and was not considered suitable for any further community based orders.

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said her client started using drugs after his stepmother died from a heart attack in early 2020.

“It was the loss of her that he started using drugs, particularly meth,” Ms Shaw said.

She said her client’s exposure to the drug world culminated in November 2021.

“He owed a drug debt to another person,” she said.

“That person assaulted him by hitting him in the head with a hammer.

“He instructs he suffered a fracture to his skull that caused a hole in his skull that is still to be fixed.

“He has had a taste of what it is like to be on the receiving end of an assault and is extremely frightened of the prospect of going to prison.”

She said seven of the supplies were committed on the same date and were offers to supply and that the actual supplies were only a few points of the drug.

Storey was sentenced to 18 months’ prison with parole release on December 13, 2022.