Zach Lucas Welch-Cotter trafficked marijuana for 11 weeks to pay for his addiction and tattoo

A Central Queensland drug trafficker told police he was “a small fish in a big city” and he sold drugs to pay for a new tattoo. Read more here.

Zach Lucas Welch-Cotter trafficked marijuana for 11 weeks to pay for his addiction and a tattoo.

A Central Queensland drug trafficker told police he was “a small fish in a big city” and that he sold drugs to pay for a new tattoo.

Zach Lucas Welch-Cotter, 25, pleaded guilty on October 24 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of trafficking drugs, one of possessing drugs, one of possessing drug utensils used in trafficking drugs, one of possessing a mobile phone used in trafficking drugs and one of possessing a used drug pipe.

Welch-Cotter trafficked marijuana between March 29, 2021, and July 9, 2021.

Crown prosecutor Alana Murray said he primarily sold marijuana via Snapchat and Facebook messenger with 32 supplies to 15 people detected by police.

She said sales were for one gram to 14 grams of marijuana with the most common sold 2.5g and seven grams with prices depending upon the quality of the product.

Ms Murray said police observed a car pull up out the front of Welch-Cotter’s Park Avenue home about 6.20pm on July 3, 2021, and the passenger go into the defendant’s home for five minutes.

She said the passenger was intercepted by police and found in possession of seven grams of marijuana that he told police he received from Welch-Cotter.

Ms Murray said bank records corresponded with what the male passenger told police.

She said when police searched Welch-Cotter’s home five days later, they located two glass jars of marijuana and a large used glass water pipe in the kitchen cupboard.

Ms Murray said police also found two glass jars of marijuana hidden behind the microwave along with three clip-seal bags containing the illicit substance.

She said in total, about 120 grams of marijuana were located in Welch-Cotter’s home.

Police also located two digital scales and a box of clip-seal bags.

His phone was seized by police, with Welch-Cotter providing access to electronically stored information.

“The defendant admitted that he helped his friends out with marijuana,” Ms Murray said.

“He said it was to make a little bit extra money because he wanted to fund a tattoo.

“He had snapped his ankle and was out of work, so that’s how he started smoking marijuana.

“He used the Snapchat application to supply marijuana so that he could get rid of a few ounces a day.

“He told police he usually supplied quarters and halves but he doesn’t go as low as $20 amounts because that was not a lucrative business.”

She said Welch-Cotter told police he was “effectively a small shark in a big city” and “that he doesn’t get bad stuff”.

Ms Murray said the marijuana police located had purple through it and the defendant told police it was “nice frosted s--- that would stink out your car”.

She said he was arrested and transported to the watch house. He was later released on bail.

Welch-Cotter was searched again on August 6, 2021, where police found him in possession of a bong, scales and grinder.

Ms Murray said the defendant told police those items were left over from the search a month earlier.

Defence barrister Stephen Byrne said his client had worked predominantly in labour since leaving school midway through year 10 and sustained a significant ankle injury after some plasterboard fell on it “and made a mess of it” at a worksite.

He said Welch-Cotter was unable to work for 2.5 years following that incident and was now recovered, but struggled to get back into the workforce.

Mr Byrne said his client had used marijuana socially, or recreationally, before the accident but his usage “increased substantially” following his ankle being injured as he was self-medicating the pain.

He said Welch-Cotter trafficked to support his own usage and supplied to his adult male friends.

He said Welch-Cotter’s weight had gone from 102kg when he was intercepted to 126kg when sentenced and he had been working for five months before sentencing.

Zach Lucas Welch-Cotter trafficked marijuana for 11 weeks to pay for his addiction and a tattoo.

Mr Byrne provided the court with three negative drug test results Welch-Cotter had passed.

He said Welch-Cotter had changed associates, had been in a de facto relationship for the past two years and was a stepfather to his de facto’s five-year-old son.

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced Welch-Cotter to 21-months prison, wholly suspended and operational for two years.