Thomas Charles Barrass jailed for meth, marijuana, gun bust at Emerald

A Supreme Court judge has warned a drug addict how ‘stupid young men often full of meth running around with guns like an American cowboy or gangster’ can be killed.

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A young drug addict busted with 70g of methamphetamines had hidden his stash in various locations of a cabin and a hire car his defacto and another male had booked at a Central Queensland holiday park.

Thomas Charles Barrass, 23, also had 20g of marijuana on the coffee table and in the glove box of the car, the Supreme Court in Rockhampton heard on December 2.

Justice Graeme Crow said Barrass’ drugs, drug paraphernalia and weapons were uncovered at the Lake Maraboon Holiday Village, 20km south of Emerald, when they knocked on his cabin door while making enquiries about a traffic crash.

Police checks, after Barrass had opened the door, revealed he was wanted on a warrant and after catching him out in a lie, he was arrested and transported to the Emerald watch house.

Justice Crow said during transport, police received intelligence that Barrass possessed firearms and a search of the cabin and Barrass became “nervous and argumentative with police”.

Police located 71.7g of substance which contained 60.272g of pure meth worth between $9,000 and $45,000.

“The methamphetamine was hidden in multiple areas throughout the villa,” Justice Crow said.

Police also located a shortened firearm – a bolt action firearm – with scratched off identification marks with 20 rounds of ammunition and other loose ammunition in another room.

There was also a scope for the firearm which was tainted property, and a silver gel pistol, along with drug paraphernalia such as scales, lighters, glass pipes, scissors, clip seal bags, phone and $11,725 cash.

“There’s no suggestion that you were using the guns or ammunition to enforce drug debt that’s often the course and that’s how people get killed – stupid young, often men full of methamphetamine, running around with guns like some sort of American cowboy or gangster,” Justice Crow said.

“It’s not the way we operate in Australia. It you want to play with methamphetamine and guns, you go to prison.”

Justice Crow said Barrass, who was on probation at the time of this offending, had claimed the cash was from fencing jobs, but the Crown Prosecutor did not accept that.

He said an assessment by probation authorities showed Barrass had problems with substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence as a perpetrator and pro-criminal attitudes.

Barrass had been referred to Drug Arm by probation, but stopped going after three sessions.

He also refused to do urine drug tests and failed to follow up with a recommended consultation with a psychologist for a mental health plan.

Justice Crow said material provide to him about his family stated his parents separated when Barrass was nine and he blamed his mother.

He said Barrass had three sisters – one in the navy, one a chef and the other a pharmacist.

Barrass started using drugs at age 13 with marijuana and progressed to meth.

Barrass pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing more than two grams of a schedule one drug, possess a shortened firearm, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing a weapon with an alternative identification marks, contravening an order about information stored electronically, possessing drug utensils, possessing tainted property, possessing property suspected used in a drug offence and possessing weapons.

Justice Crow sentenced him to four years prison, declared 386 days presentence custody as time already served and set parole eligibility for January 11, 2025.