Tyler Michael Hughes in Rockhampton court for supplying cocaine, meth

A rap sheet riddled with low level crimes has a staggering number of new, more serious entries, after its Central Queensland owner was exposed as a “middleman” in a drug supply network.

Tyler Michael Hughes, 26, had been a middle man when he arranged 18 drug supplies for people over a five-month period, Rockhampton District Court heard this week.

A Central Queensland father’s criminal history has “significantly” escalated to supplying cocaine and meth.

Tyler Michael Hughes, 26, was acting as the “middleman” when he arranged 18 drug supplies for people over a five-month period, Rockhampton District Court heard this week.

Crown prosecutor Kathryn Walker said the drug supplies were detected after Hughes’ phone was seized during a search of his home on September 21, 2021.

She said Hughes arranged six supplies of cocaine and 12 of methamphetamines between April 29, 2021, and September 9, 2021.

Ms Walker said the cocaine supplies were for one to seven grams and the meth supplies were for 0.01g to 28.3495g.

“The defendant was effectively a middleman,” she said.

“He would organise and facilitate sales for friends.”

Judge Michael Burnett said this was a “significant escalation” in Hughes’s offending according to his three-page criminal record which contained convictions for going armed to cause fear, a drug drive on his traffic record and Hughes having spent time in prison at some point.

Defence barrister Liam Kennedy said since the offending, his client had been in a relationship with his current partner who had three children from a previous relationship, one with Hughes and another on the way.

He said Hughes also had a seven-year-old from a different relationship.

Mr Kennedy said caring for the children was what “helped him get on the straight and narrow”.

He supplied the court with copies of two drug test results showing Hughes clear of any illicit substances.

Hughes pleaded guilty on February 29 to 18 counts of supplying dangerous drugs and one count of possessing a thing used in a crime.

Judge Burnett sentenced him to 18-months prison, wholly suspended with an operational period of three years.