Wide Bay Burnett’s drug dealers and traffickers named and shamed
From meth mums to family drug rings, dog breeders and corporate workers, there have been 5000+ drug offences across the Wide Bay Burnett in the past two years, with dealers supplying and trafficking to hundreds of regular customers. Here are the ones who got caught:
South Burnett
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From meth mums, family drug rings, corporate types to casual “side hustles”, the following is a list of drug dealers and traffickers across the Wide Bay Burnett.
Drugs continue to be a major scourge on our community, and Queensland Police have reported 5234 drug related offences across this region in the past two years.
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Here are the men and women of this region who have dealt and supplied meth, marijuana, MDMA and cocaine and made local headlines for all the wrong reasons:
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Fraser Coast
Beau James Beech, 33 at the time, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay District Court to supplying dangerous drugs.
The court heard Beech had arranged two meth supplies on behalf of his father.
His offending had been uncovered when police intercepted communications between he and his father.
He was a man who suffered from significant drug addiction, but while he was in custody he had been free of drugs, the court was told.
Beech had spent 355 days in presentence custody and had used that time to undertake courses to deal with drug and alcohol addiction and to participate in a course involving agriculture and landscaping skills.
He was hoping to find work in that field upon his release.
Beech was sentenced to 18 months in jail with immediate parole release.
Judge Sheridan told Beech to stay committed to staying free of drugs.
Joanne Leigh Hawthorn, 52 at the time, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, stealing and possessing anything used in connection with a crime on April 28, 2022 at Maryborough Supreme Court.
Hawthorn had been part of a meth ring.
It heard police had targeted the operation over a lengthy period and during that time Hawthorn made multiple drug deals, mostly meth but sometimes cannabis, to 25 customers.
Between 0.1 grams and 3.5 grams of meth was sold during the transactions, while the largest deal involving cannabis amounted to 14 grams, the court heard.
Hawthorn made more money from her dealing, using the funds to feed her own drug habit.
The court heard Hawthorn had an extensive criminal history, much of it also related to drugs.
She also suffered from mental illness, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and was not on medication at the time of her offending.
Hawthorn was sentenced to two and a half years jail, with immediate parole.
Barbara Gay Ward, 60 at the time, faced Maryborough Supreme Court on April 28, 2022, after pleading guilty to unlawful drug trafficking, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils and pipes and receiving tainted property.
The court heard her main role in the drug ring was to courier drugs between Hervey Bay and Brisbane and in one instance, the Gold Coast.
The exact quantities of drugs being transported were unknown.
Ward allegedly let Mr Beech store drugs at her property and during one week, she essentially ran the business, with a turnover of about $16,000 during that week, of which she received $8000, the court was told.
Ward was not addicted to meth, but used it casually.
Ward was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, wholly suspended.
Joe Antony Drobny, 24 at the time, pleaded guilty in Maryborough Supreme Court on February 1 2022 to one count of drug trafficking .
For two weeks, a Hervey Bay man had a thriving business, selling drugs to 26 different customers and making thousands of dollars.
His fortunes quickly changed however when he was a passenger in the car during a random police check.
Drobny appeared “nervous and fidgety” the court was told.
Police searched the car and found clip seal bags and scales.
He told police the items were for coin collecting, which Justice Graeme Crow described as a “shallow lie, a hopeless lie”.
An examination of Drobny’s phone soon revealed the items’ true purpose.
Police found evidence of 26 customers and numerous drug deals for both meth and marijuana, which Drobny had sold for thousands of dollars.
While his criminal record was against him, Justice Crow said Drobny was still young and he was hopeful his 80 days in custody had been a wake up call for him.
Drobny was sentenced to three years in prison but immediately released on parole.
Kathrina Mary Bills, 52 at the time, pleaded guilty to seven counts of supplying dangerous drugs when she faced Maryborough District Court on March 15, 2022.
The court heard the unit where Bills was staying was raided by police on August 13, 2020.
In the bedroom occupied by her five-year-old grandson, police found drug utensils owned by Bills, including a bowl, a water pipe and scales.
The charges arising from the discovery of the drug utensils had been dealt with in magistrates court, the court heard.
The messages on the phone revealed she had been supplying drugs, including one supply of cannabis and six of meth.
The amounts were all low, between 0.1 grams and 0.5 grams, and her offending was described as street level, unsophisticated and done to support her own drug habit.
Bills was given an 18 months jail sentence, but was given immediate release on parole
Dorinda Louise Allsworth, a mum experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, narrowly avoided spending time behind bars after she pleaded guilty to trafficking meth.
In addition to the trafficking charge the 25 year old, at the time, pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying cannabis when she faced Maryborough Supreme Court on November 29, 2022.
Crown prosecutor Christopher Cook said the trafficking had been carried out over about six months, with street level amounts of methamphetamine, as well as supplying small amounts of cannabis.
Mr Cook said Allsworth had a customer base of at least 25 people, with sales generally towards the lower end of street level dealing.
Justice Applegarth said she had supplied meth to help support her own drug habit.
Allsworth was sentenced to three years in prison but she was given immediate release on parole.
But Justice Applegarth told her it meant she had to stay out of trouble for three years or she could find herself behind bars.
He said she was not avoiding prison because she was pregnant.
Mitchell James Trevanion, pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying dangerous drugs when he faced the Maryborough Supreme Court in late November 2022.
The court heard while Trevanion was set to be placed on probation, he instead asked to be given a suspended jail sentence because of his elderly grandparents who lived interstate.
One of the stipulations of probation would be that he could not leave the state without permission.
The court heard he had supplied small amounts of meth on three occasions, and had come to police attention after text messages about supplying the drugs were found.
Trevanion told the court he had started using drugs when he was young, due to his mother also using drugs.
“I was caught up in that sort of scene,” he said.
Trevanion suffered from “extreme PTSD and extreme depression and anxiety”, the court heard.
Justice Applegarth said he would include the reasons why Trevanion would benefit from having permission to leave the state in his sentencing remarks, which could then be shown to the probation office.
“You were even prepared to submit to a short period of imprisonment wholly suspended,” Judge Applegarth said.
“I thought about that, but it seems to me I shouldn’t impose imprisonment where that’s not the most appropriate sentence,” he said.
Trevanion was placed on 12 months’ probation
Zara’d Beattie, 26 at the time, pleaded guilty to six counts of supplying dangerous drugs, two charges of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing something used in the commission of a crime defined in part 2 and possessing utensils or pipes for use on July 27, 2022 at Hervey Bay District Court.
The court heard the pregnant mum of three had supplied more than $1300 worth of cannabis in 2020 when she was 24.
Prosecutor Kate Droney told the court Beattie’s home was searched by police in October 2020, her mobile phone was seized and analysed, which revealed she had supplied dangerous drugs on a number of occasions.
The court heard all supplies were cannabis, which ranged in weight from one gram for $20, up to 56 grams for $660.
When police searched her address, they also found other “drug related paraphernalia”, Ms Droney said.
The court heard Beattie had an ongoing addiction to cannabis and some of the offences were committed while she was on probation.
Defence barrister Sarah Farnden said the “most important thing” her client did for her rehabilitation was relocating to Hervey Bay from Rockhampton in November 2021.
The court heard Beattie was recently engaged to a new partner, had two daughters and was pregnant with a third child.
Beattie was sentenced to nine months jail, wholly suspended for two years for the six counts of supplying dangerous drugs.
For the two charges of possessing dangerous drugs, she was sentenced to three months jail, wholly suspended for two years.
Beattie was convicted and not further punished for possessing anything used in the commission of crime defined in part 2, and possessing utensils or pipes for use, all sentences were to be served concurrently.
Holly May Neilson, 25 at the time, pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying and one count of producing dangerous drugs in August 2021.
The court heard the owner of Holly’s Jumping Castles was selling meth on the side after becoming caught up in her parents’ drug trafficking business.
She sold “street level quantities of the drug” and was busted by police who were targeting the wider drug dealing operation.
Both her parents, Cinnamon Coughlan and Ed Westphal, are currently serving terms in prison for their roles, the court was told.
Judge Michael Rackemann said Neilson had allowed herself to get caught up with the offending of her parents, rather than being bent to their will.
“Caught up, albeit in a very minor way,” Judge Rackemann.
“Meth is a very bad drug, it causes a lot of problems in the community,” he said.
Neilson was sentenced to 18 months in jail but was allowed immediate release on parole.
Klair Reid-Hutchinson, 28 at the time, pleaded guilty in Maryborough Supreme Court to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs and another of possessing dangerous drugs in October 2021.
The mother made money selling meth, MDMA and cocaine, and was told by a judge to decide whether her love of drugs was greater than her love for her children.
The court heard Reid-Hutchinson sold drugs for about a month and on at least three occasions, text messages indicated the deals had gone through.
The ‘street-level’ trafficking had been uncovered when police raided a home at Torbanlea on July 28, 2020.
Reid-Hutchinson was offering meth, cannabis, MDMA and cocaine and had a pricing system, the court was told, with the text messages also indicating she had access to and was willing to sell larger quantities of drugs.
Reid-Hutchinson had three children, the youngest just seven months old, and all three had health issues.
Justice Crow sentenced Reid-Hutchinson to three years in prison, with immediate release on parole.
When she heard she wouldn’t serve time in prison, she held her head in her hands and cried.
Jezsryn Lee Masaberg, 35 at the time, pleaded guilty to a series of charges when he appeared before Hervey Bay District Court, including supplying dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs and unlawful possession of a weapon in October 2021.
The father-of-four, who sat in the dock wearing a black shirt with “Jesus” printed across the front, was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by police on April 8, 2021 at Beenleigh, the court heard.
Both Masaberg and a co-offender were caught with a quantity of marijuana and a homemade firearm.
An iPad in the vehicle tipped police off to other crimes.
It was used by Masaberg to make meth deals, the court was told.
Police also found $1350 in the vehicle, which Masaberg later admitted was to be used to buy meth.
He lost his partner, Bellita Sailor, 27, when she collapsed suddenly in December, 2015.
It was later found that she had died of a brain aneurysm, the court heard.
Judge Jarro said he noted Masaberg had brought his children to court and asked him if he wanted his children to be exposed to that kind of lifestyle.
He said the loss of Masaberg’s partner had seemed to have caused his life to “spiral out of control”.
Masaberg was sentenced to nine months in prison and was immediately released on parole.
Benjamin Andrew Geiger, 31 at the time, was sentenced in Hervey Bay District Court for one count of supplying a dangerous drug.
The pub musician sold half a gram of meth, the court was told, with his offending being uncovered as part of a wider police operation.
Geiger’s offending was the result of someone who had “fallen into the wrong crowd”, the court heard, and he had developed a quick affinity for using meth.
A letter submitted to the court from a former bandmate spoke of his character and engagement with the community.
The court heard Geiger had started out using meth “recreationally” but had indulged more frequently when he moved in with others who used the drug and had more regular access to it.
Judge David Reid encouraged Geiger to get back into his music.
The court was told Geiger was already on two six-month suspended sentences for previous offences, both of which were activated by Judge Reid.
He was given immediate release on parole and sentenced to three years’ probation.
Bundaberg
Justin Roland Williams, pleaded guilty to 18 charges including trafficking when he appeared before Justice Graeme Crow in the Bundaberg Supreme Court on January 15, 2023.
In May 2022, police announced the conclusion of an operation to bust a drug trafficking network which had included multiple people distributing steroids, cocaine and MDMA over hundreds of kilometres of the state.
The operation came undone when a business at Avoca in Bundaberg was raided following a tip-off regarding illegal testosterone, the court was told.
Police said they found more than 20 containers of restricted illegal testosterone products, along with steroid powders and liquids, packaging, gel capsules and empty vials.
At the time of Williams‘ arrest, Bundaberg Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Bishop labelled the operation a significant disruption to drug trafficking across both Bundaberg and South East Queensland.
Justice Crow sentenced Williams to fives years‘ prison, suspended for a period of five years after serving 14 months.
Cameron James Paul, 33 at the time, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and other related offences at Maryborough Supreme Court in February 2022.
The Bundaberg drug trafficker had customers deposit a total of $102,000 into his Indue Cashless Debit Card Account.
The court heard his drug empire began unravelling during a police search when he was found with thousands of dollars in cash.
Paul told the officers he had won the money gambling, but Justice Graeme Crow said that was a lie.
Deposits adding up to $102,000 were made over several months in 2020, the court heard.
During that time, the father of two sold meth in wholesale and street amounts, used “standover tactics” to recover debts and tried to control the pricing of meth in Bundaberg.
Paul was sentenced to seven years in jail, with parole eligibility from February 10, 2023
Shelly-Ann McShane, 34 at the time, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs in the Bundaberg Supreme Court on February 15, 2023.
The Agnes Water mum developed a series of codewords to sell drugs to friends and family, the court heard.
Crown prosecutor Madalyn Oliver said McShane had at least four customers, and supplied methamphetamines and cannabis.
The court was told McShane shopped around for suppliers, told her customers to download secure messaging applications and use a series of codewords such as tupperware, cupcakes, green pain and green vegetables.
Defence barrister Callan Cassidy said McShane was trying to focus on parenting her one year old child.
The court heard the father of McShane’s one year old child has his own history of “significant drug abuse issues” and Mr Crow told McShane she needed to think of the future of her child before thinking of drugs.
McShane was sentenced to three years’ prison with immediate parole.
Catherine Ann Mitchell, 54 at the time, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court to two counts of supplying a dangerous drug and one count of failing to appear in August 2022.
Postal workers got more than they bargained for when they found a drug stash intended for Mitchell’s children, hidden in a package.
On March 31, 2022, Mitchell was arrested in Gin Gin after the package she sent through the mail was found to contain 10g of cannabis, along with other items, the court heard.
She failed to appear before the court on June 13, for the drug supply charges and a warrant was issued for her arrest, when she handed herself in the next day Mitchell told police she “lost her paperwork”.
Police prosecutor Dean Burgess described the acts committed by Mitchell as ‘stupidity’.
“She’s a lady of 54 years-of-age, she really should know better by now,” he said.
Her lawyer told the court his client’s decision to send the package was ‘spur-of-the-moment’.
“It was unsophisticated offending,” Mr Gray said.
Mitchell was fined $150 for failing to appear and $500 for supplying a dangerous drug, referred to SPER.
Convictions were recorded.
Joe Corbett, 31 at the time, appeared in Bundaberg District Court and pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs and three counts of supplying dangerous drugs in July 2022.
The Bundaberg man with a “concerning” drugs history told police he’d just been “helping out a few mates”, despite evidence he had hired a delivery driver for his illicit business.
The trafficking charge involved cannabis, while the drug supply charges comprised one incidence of supplying LSD and another two of supplying meth.
The offences were committed between January 14, 2021 and February 26, 2021.
His actions were uncovered when on March 1, 2021, police stopped the father of five’s hire car and smelled cannabis.
They found a mobile phone, some unused clip-seal bags, some utensils, including scales and scissors, and $5430 in cash.
Crown prosecutor Carla Ahern told the court Corbett had about 43 customers, and had offered to supply a further five, and that three of the people in his customer base were minors.
The court heard Corbett had a history of reoffending and breaching court orders.
Judge Burnett noted the defendant had no family, aside from his children, and had not gained any skills.
Taking into account an early plea of guilty, Corbett received a head sentence of three years, with 10 months’ and four days’ pre-sentence custody declared as time served.
Belinda Jane Jackson, 44 at the time, pleaded guilty to mailing a drug package to an associate in April 2022 at Bundaberg District Court.
The Gin Gin mother of five bought a mug before filling it with cocaine and meth, which had a street value of between $9000 and $11,000 on July 21, 2020, the court heard.
The parcel never made it to its destination, however, and police found 22.255g of pure methamphetamine and 0.752g of pure cocaine within the substances secreted inside the cup.
Crown prosecutor Carla Ahern said the Crown was arguing the presence of commerciality.
Defence barrister Simone Bain said her client had been involved in supplying drugs in order to feed her own habit.
“She has been using drugs which started at smoking cannabis and progressed to methylamphetamine and then progressed to using methamphetamine intravenously,” she said.
The court heard Jackson had been attending counselling to work on her addiction issues.
“She says that she’s been clean for six weeks,” Ms Bain said.
The barrister also noted Jackson had held down several jobs at various times, including working in retail and helping run a second-hand baby clothing store to help victims of domestic violence.
Judge Nathan Jarro said it was a “not insignificant” amount of drugs in the package Jackson had mailed.
Jackson was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment with immediate parole.
Jacob Bradley Box, a butcher, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Supreme Court, in November 2021, to trafficking in dangerous drugs from June 8, 2019 to October 6, 2019.
Offences were committed while he was between 18 and 19 years old.
The court heard that over a four-month period Box trafficked both street and wholesale amounts of drugs, mostly marijuana.
Box lost his driver’s licence, he paid another person $70-150 a time to drive him around while he carried out his illicit business, with another person driving a car ahead of them as a lookout, the court was told.
On September 21, 2019, police executed a search warrant on Box’s Bargara home, finding 25.9g of cannabis, a grinder, cone piece and water pipe and $16,580 in cash.
Box quit trafficking of his own volition, however, and had taken positive steps towards rehabilitation, the court heard.
Justice Graeme Crow said it was accepted that Box had been proactive in giving up drugs.
“It’s a horrible thing to get involved in dangerous drugs and you’re smart enough not to do that – I hope,” he said.
Box’s early plea of guilty, the fact he voluntarily quit trafficking, had engaged positively with support services and his youth were taken into account in sentencing.
He was sentenced to three years in prison with immediate release.
Liam Anthony Wechsler, 21 at the time, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Supreme Court to offences including drug trafficking, supplying dangerous drugs and possessing a dangerous drug in excess of two grams in March 2021.
The court heard Wechsler has turned his life around to get away from drugs after he used to go out and sell them on weekends.
During a search officers found a number of clip seal bags of MDMA tablets – in total, 43.666g of MDMA was found.
Police also seized a number of other items including black iPhone, about 140 unused gelatine capsules, scales and $2095 in cash, the court was told.
The then 19-year-old told police he would travel to Brisbane to obtain the drugs and then put 0.1g of the substance in capsules and take them out on weekends.
Crown prosecutor Mark Whitbread conceded that due to a number of mitigating features, a period in actual custody was not necessary for Wechsler.
However, he said supervision would be necessary.
Wechsler‘s barrister Callan Cassidy told the court Wechsler was the victim of and was exposed to domestic violence as a child.
Justice Crow also took into account Wechsler had a minor criminal history.
Wechsler was sentenced to three years‘ imprisonment with an immediate parole release.
Arron David Flanders, 24 at the time, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Supreme Court on Thursday to one count of drug trafficking and six counts of supplying a dangerous drug on March 15, 2021.
Flanders made enough profit from his drug business to cover his living expenses and fund a trip to Thailand, but things came undone when police searched his home, the court heard.
Police searched the shed Flanders was living in on his father‘s Apple Tree Creek property on December 6 in 2019.
During the search police found a phone on the couch, with analysis later uncovering text messages revealing the device belonged to Flanders and that he was trafficking marijuana.
Sixty-eight grams of marijuana was found in the shed as well as three LSD tabs, grinders and scales.
Flanders was supplying customers with marijuana in street level and some wholesale amounts, as well as LSD to two of his clients on six occasions, the court heard.
The marijuana was both hydroponic and naturally grown and came from local and non-local sources.
The court heard his phone revealed at least 100 instances where marijuana was supplied to a customer base of at least 15 people.
Justice Graeme Crow took into account Flanders‘ plea of guilty and limited criminal history when considering his sentence.
Flanders was sentenced to three years imprisonment with an immediate parole release.
Juanita Joy Smith, 48 at the time, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Supreme Court to drug trafficking, supplying and a number of other drug related offences on December 13, 2021.
Being on bail and probation wasn’t enough to stop the former childcare worker from continuing her drug trafficking business, even after having her home raided, the court was told.
Crown Prosecutor Caroline Marco told the court Smith would purchase her drugs from her daughter’s partner before selling them to her own customer base.
Ms Marco told the court Smith would purchase ice from him almost every day and at one point, had a debt of about $14,000.
Smith sold the drugs to her customers in quantities between 0.1g and 3.5g and would make multiple sales a day.
Police raided Smith’s Bundaberg home in January 2021 where they found ice, LSD, scales and cash.
Ms Marco said Smith’s home was searched again in March after she was sentenced in Bundaberg Supreme Court for another matter and marijuana was found.
During the March raid, Smith’s phone was seized and analysed and she declined to be interviewed, after being verbally abusive towards police.
The phone contained messages relating to her drug trafficking.
Smith’s barrister Nick Larter told the court his client turned back to drugs in 2019 after an incident involving one of her children caused her distress.
He said Smith found her time in custody “difficult” as she had some mobility issues relating to pain in her lower legs.
Smith was sentenced to a total of five years in jail and will be eligible for parole in April, 2023 after serving 22 months.
One hundred and sixty eight days of presentence custody was declared as time already served and a serious drug offence certificate was issued.
Tiffany Leigh Coleman, 25 at the time, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Supreme Court to drug trafficking and possessing drugs and used utensils in December 2021.
Coleman’s seven month long trafficking operation was uncovered when police raided her home in June 2020.
The court heard during that time she sold between three and 60 capsules at a time, on 30 different occasions to 17 different customers.
During the search they found $5000 in cash, which the court heard were proceeds from her drug sales.
As well as the cash they found 50 capsules containing a combined total of 1.207g of pure MDMA, the court heard.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said Coleman had a criminal history, but the only drug related offence related to failing to dispose of a needle or syringe.
Coleman’s barrister Nick Larter said his client had now moved away from her associates in the drug community and had not committed an offence since the raid 18 months ago.
Mr Larter said Coleman had previously worked in the disability support sector but lost her job because of the charges before the court and was unable to continue working due to a back injury.
Justice Crow accepted Coleman’s plea had come at an early opportunity and that she was remorseful for her actions.
Coleman was sentenced to three years jail with a parole release after serving six months.
Caleb James Nairn, 21 at the time, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Supreme Court to drug trafficking on October 19, 2021.
The Bundaberg man, who promoted and advertised his range of MDMA and cannabis to addicts in the region, has been told his actions were “evil”.
The court heard Nairn ran a drug business, promoting his products, sending advertisements on instant messaging apps and even seeking customer feedback.
The 21-year-old’s illegal trade tumbled on May 28, 2020, when police carried out a standard check of his car and uncovered several clip-seal bags containing 32.285g of MDMA in crystal form with a purity of 26.05 per cent – or more than 8g of the pure drug.
Police also found meth, Midazolam tablets and 144g of cannabis.
Nairn gave police the passcode to his phone, who uncovered the details of his street-level operation spanning four-and-a-half months.
The court heard Nairn had at least 27 local customers and made 95 sales since starting to traffic drugs.
Barrister Nick Larter told the court his client had depression and anxiety and also suffered the experience of a family tragedy in his youth.
Justice Graeme Crow told the court he was concerned Nairn “mass-advertised” his products, actively engaging his clients, one of whom had purchased in wholesale amounts.
Nairn was sentenced to three years’ jail but allowed immediate parole.
Richard Charles Goulding, 51, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to drug trafficking.
The court heard Goulding made “limited profit” during a three month stint trafficking marijuana to four “primary customers”.
Goulding had been trafficking marijuana between September and December 2019, supplying to four primary customers, the court heard.
He would supply the marijuana in wholesale or street level quantities.
Three customers were pulled over by police after leaving Goulding’s house and were found with marijuana.
Crown prosecutor Steven Dickson told the court Goulding “downplayed” his offending when spoken to by police.
Mr Dickson said marijuana was an addictive substance that could cause or exacerbate mental health conditions.
Goulding’s barrister, Callan Cassidy, said Goulding was a carer for his wife, who suffered from a degenerative neurological condition.
Judge Ken Barlow took into account Goulding’s plea of guilty, as well as his co-operation with police.
He said while Goulding committed the offence with the intention to make some profit, he accepted he made limited proceeds from the trafficking.
Gympie
Malcolm David Tschirpig, 41 at the time, pleaded guilty to 34 offences from between August 30, 2019 and February 16, 2020, including three charges of failing to dispose of a needle, seven charges of possessing used drug utensils including bongs, scales and glass pipes, two car thefts, five counts of possessing stolen property including a laptop, power tools, medication and copper wiring, stealing batteries from the Gympie Regional Council, receiving tainted property and breaching his probation.
He also faced 15 drug charges including possession of 11 different drugs, including meth, marijuana, fentanyl and buprenorphine, as well as seven prescription medications and was convicted of drug trafficking in 2021.
Tschirpig was detained on February 17, 2020, and spent more than two years in pre-sentence custody, until his conviction on March 29, 2022. He was eligible for parole on December, 2, 2022.
Kay Lorraine Menzies, 50 at the time, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in July 2021, including being an accessory after the fact to the robbery, six charges of supplying dangerous drugs, and two summary drugs charges.
Authorities turned up the evidence of Menzies’ drug deals after searching through messages on her mobile phone, between March and April 2020, where during that time, they found that she had made six drug deals, selling OxyContin, Subutex, and – on four occasions – methylamphetamine.
Menzies was sentenced to two years in prison but released on parole immediately. The court heard she was interested in turning her life around and intended to move to Townsville.
Jodie Knowles, 51 at the time, pleaded guilty to eight counts of supplying a dangerous drug and one count of dispensing a dangerous drug in the Gympie District Court on March 22 2021.
She has been convicted of distributing between 0.1g and 0.5g of methamphetamine to five different people over an eight day stretch from January 15-22 in 2020. She made more than $500 from the deals, as well as making $100 from selling a 75mg sheet of a prescription drug used to treat epilepsy.
The court heard Knowles had previous convictions for marijuana use, and had begun using meth to deal with dental pain and abscesses in her mouth, but then began selling small amounts of meth, to fund her own habit.
Judge Ken Barlow said Knowles‘ willingness to sell the drug even while on bail showed either “disdain” for the legal system or ”stupidity”.
She was sentenced to 20 months in prison, immediate parole.
Judge Barlow warned her that any further crimes committed in that time would put her behind bars.
Alena Eve Pyke, 36 at the time, pleaded guilty to six charges of supplying drugs as well as possessing a phone used to organise a series of small methylamphetamine deals in 2020.
The mother of five was pregnant when she was arrested in September 2020.
Pyke pleaded guilty in court six days after giving birth, the court was told.
Judge Glen Cash sentenced Pyke to remain in jail until December 14 with parole for a further 10 months and said that Pyke was “old enough to know the harm drugs do” and warned she was at risk of losing her children should she not clean up her act.
“If you want to be a mother to them you need to be there,” Judge Cash said.
Charles Anthony Thomas, 43 at the time, pleaded guilty to dealing methamphetamine and one count of possessing marijuana at Gympie District Court in July, 2021.
Thomas was charged after he was caught by police during an operation targeting the supply of illegal drugs in March 2021.
The court heard he was charged over two deals where he sold 0.238g and 0.49g of meth on March 23 and March 24, respectively.
Thomas’ sentencing was put on hold due to complications, and he was remanded in custody.
Jason Troy Straun Robertson, 38 at the time, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a dangerous drug, and one count of possessing anything used to carry out a crime in Gympie District court in May, 2021.
He and his accomplice, John Stefan Konkol were caught dealing methamphetamine after becoming the target of an undercover police operation in 2020.
Robertson was sentenced to 15 months jail, but was released on parole immediately and placed on a three year probation.
John Stefan Konkol, 50 at the time, pleaded guilty to supplying a dangerous drug, and possessing of a dangerous drug and utensil on May 12 2021.
Alongside his co-accused Jason Troy Straun Robertson, Konkol was the target of an undercover police operation in 2020, and was convicted of dealing methamphetamine after making the phone call to arrange the deal.
“Mr Konkol’s involvement was neither enthusiastic, particularly active, nor consistent,” Judge Porter said, and fined him $1000.
Tamika Geiger, 24 at the time, pleaded guilty to 28 charges including 12 counts of supplying drugs and 16 other charges, including stealing petrol and possessing syringes in February 2021.
The young mother was arrested after the police searched her house, and found messages on her phone that revealed 12 occasions where she offered to supply dangerous drugs to others, the court was told.
“Seven of those were codeine prescription medication and three involved small quantities of methamphetamine,” Crown prosecutor Aleksandra Nikolic said.
Barrister Simone Bain said at the time of the offending, Geiger was in a relationship with a man who was a “bad influence” on her and introduced her to drugs.
“Being in prison has been a good thing for her; it has changed her life and has been a big wake up call for her,” Ms Bain said.
Having already been in custody for six months, Judge Cash ordered Geiger be released on probation for two years, once her outstanding matter was dealt with in the Magistrates Court.
“If you want to be there for your son, you know that you need to stay away from drugs,” Judge Cash said.
Andrew William Donney, 35 at the time, pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court, to more than a dozen charges including supplying and possessing methamphetamine, possessing explosives without authority and unlawful possession of a weapon in April 2021.
He was supported in the courtroom by his family, who sat and listened as Judge Jennifer Rosengren detailed his downward spiral into drug abuse after his father took his own life in 2015.
Judge Rosengren said Donney had turned to drugs “as a way of getting through (the) day” but as a result he had lost his longtime relationship with his father‘s successful business and been locked behind bars, away from his family.
“You are being a living example of how this drug can destroy lives,” she said.
She pointed to the “unusual” fact Donney had never committed a crime until he was 33 years old.
Donney was sentenced to six months in jail; he will be eligible for parole at the end of May.
Matthew Lawrence Grimstone, 25 at the time, pleaded guilty in Gympie District to three charges of supplying methamphetamine in September 2020.
Grimstone was caught supplying meth at the house of a wanted man, during a police raid in January 2020.
After his phone was seized by the police, the messages of his previous drug deals were revealed.
He had sold the wanted man 0.5g of meth or a substance containing meth for $100 in early January; later that month, he sold him the same quantity again for $100, and towards the end of January he sold another person 0.2g for an unknown price.
The court heard Grimstone had a criminal history, and had been on parole at the time of these offences.
In 2019, he was sentenced for stealing a horse from the Gympie Showgrounds and riding it into the Jockey Club Hotel, as well as seriously assaulting a stranger.
The father of two had spent 83 days in pre-sentence custody for the drug offences and was released on bail on April 27, 2020.
The court heard that his current girlfriend was pregnant with his third child at the time.
Grimstone‘s pre-sentence custody was declared time served, and he was given a head sentence of 12 months jail, suspended for 12 months.
Kara-Lea Mayfield, 26 at the time, pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court to six charges of supplying dangerous drugs in April 2020.
In 2019, after the police detained two men and seized their phones in 2019, messages were six revealed from Mayfield over a two-month period, arranging the supply of methamphetamine for herself and others.
Crown Prosecutor Katrina Overell said “all the amounts were small and for personal use.”
Mayfield was placed on two years probation with two specific requirements including submitting to regular drug tests and that she submit to psychological treatment.
She had to report to her probation officer in that time and attend counselling.
Leanne Margaret MacGregor, 44 at the time, pleaded guilty to five charges of supplying or offering to supply a dangerous drug, one charge of possessing a bong and one charge of possessing a small quantity of dangerous drugs in November 2020.
“MacGregor was detected selling or attempting to sell various quantities of meth and weed on five occasion, during a police investigation for someone else suspected of drug dealing,” the court heard.
After seizing the suspect’s phone, the police found messages from MacGregor revealing that she had supplied drugs to him and had also made arrangements that ultimately didn’t go ahead.
She caught selling meth three times and planning to sell it another two, with one of her deals involving 7g of cannabis and 1.7g meth for $430, another involving 2g of meth amounting to $320 and another totalling 1.75g of meth.
MacGregor arranged to sell an 8-ball of meth and ounce of cannabis and a “very small amount” of meth on yet on separate occasions but those deals did not get done.
Judge Cash warned of the “very serious” nature of MacGregor’s offending, and the impact it had on society.
MacGregor was given a head sentence of 18 months’ jail but was released immediately on parole, where she will have to undergo regular drug testing.
Michael Ethan Dan, 27 at the time, pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying a schedule 1 dangerous drug, producing schedule 2 dangerous drugs, the schedule 2 drug quantity of or exceeding schedule 3, possessing dangerous drugs, possess things used in the commission of crime, not being endorsed to possess restricted drug x 2, possessing utensils/pipes etc that had been used, possessing explosives, and three counts of entering a premises and committing an indictable offence by breaking in.
Dan was arrested in January 2020, after the police searched his home and found dangerous drugs, evidence he was producing and supplying dangerous drugs, and explosives.
The court heard police found varying quantities of steroids, meth, cannabis and other restricted drugs at the properties, the cannabis plants weighing a total of 1.5kg. They also found 16 shells for a 12 gauge shotgun, and various text messages on his phone which indicated Dan was supplying drugs to another person.
Judge Glen Cash told Dan if he went near drugs when he was released on parole he would “go back to jail and you will be seeing an early grave”.
Dan was sentenced to a total of three years jail, but having already spent the last 301 days behind bars, he became eligible for parole on December 20, 2020.
Burnett Region
Mele Lineti Sanipepa Cross, 30 at the time, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Supreme Court to four charges, including drug trafficking and theft in February 2023.
30 at the time, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Supreme Court to four charges, including drug trafficking and theft in February 2023.
The court heard that the Munduberra mum had a three-page criminal history, and spent 14 months dealing drugs in her hometown of Mundubbera between 2020 and 2021, where she had more than 40 regular clients.
Justice Graeme Crow said Cross’ true revenue during this period was difficult to calculate, however police estimated more than $100,000 was turned over for her “predominantly street level” activities.
Cross also claimed more than $60,000 a year from Centrelink as a sole parent.
She was
on bail for previous drug charges when police executed a search warrant on September 9, 2021 on the home she shared with her husband and three children.
when police executed a search warrant on September 9, 2021 on the home she shared with her husband and three children.
For the charge of trafficking Cross was sentenced to five years imprisonment, wholly suspended, and conviction recorded. She was not further punished on the remaining three charges.
Jennifer Ann Murchie
, 47 at the time, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in the Kingaroy District Court on April 28, 2022. Murchie began dealing marijuana in the Burnett region in June 2020, and spent four months trafficking and dealing drugs, before police caught up with her and laid charges in July 2021. She spent four months trafficking and dealing drugs in order to help supply her son with the illegal substance, the court heard.
Ms O’Rourke told the court Murchie gave police an unusual reason for turning to drug dealing.
“Her motivation was so that her son could smoke cannabis for free,” Ms O’Rourke said.
Her lawyer, James Feely explained that Murchie’s eldest son suffered from cancer as a baby and required chemotherapy before being diagnosed with autism.
He said the now 18-year-old was a “special needs” case and suffered “extreme anxiety”.
“One of the most effective ways to manage the symptoms was cannabis,” Mr Feely said.
Murchie was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, immediately suspended for three years.
Bianca Head
, 38 at the time, pleaded guilty at Kingaroy District Court to eight counts of supplying dangerous drugs.
Head’s home was raided by police on August 19, 2020, where they found methamphetamines hidden in her bra and messages on her phone showing evidence of supplying dangerous drugs.
Defence barrister James Benjamin said Head became addicted to methamphetamine at the age of 28.
The court was told that in December 2021, Head’s children, aged 4 and 6, went to live with their father, due to her drug use.
“She attended drug counselling sessions and is keen to return to her children and back to isolation from old habits and networks that exist around this area,” Mr Benjamin said.
“You have taken a number of steps to demonstrate that you are focused on your rehabilitation and that you are choosing your children over drugs,” Judge Vicki Loury said.
Judge Loury sentenced her to twelve months prison for the first indictment and nine months for the second, with immediate parole.
Shaun Joseph Wagner
The former bank manager spent time behind bars after he was caught trafficking ice during a large-scale undercover police operation.
Wagner appeared in Brisbane Supreme Court in December in 2020, where he was sentenced to three years‘ jail after pleading guilty to drug trafficking, supplying weapons and another drug offence.
The court was told the Kingaroy man had worked for nine years for National Australia Bank, rising up the ranks to become a bank manager.
In 2018, Wagner became the subject of a five-month police operation in which he sold 50g of ice to an undercover officer.
Justice Lyons agreed Wagner had taken ”significant steps” towards rehabilitation and that he had freely told police about his trafficking, beyond what was uncovered in the operation.
Wagner was sentenced to three years’ jail, suspended after two and a half years.
Sarah Emily Lorraine Haigh, pleaded guilty to five charges before Murgon Magistrates Court on October 20 2020, including possessing dangerous drugs, supplying dangerous drugs, possessing drug utensils, possessing unauthorised explosives, and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, namely a book.
The snake, rat and dachshund breeder landed herself in court after police located 163 grams of cannabis at her home, which she'd been using as payment in return for household chores.
Police prosecutor Barry Stevens said police located two large bags of cannabis, a “black book with handwritten pages of weights with associated dollar costs”, scales, and clip sealed bags at Haigh‘s South Burnett address.
Defence lawyer Jay Rose said Haigh‘s drug use was due a combination of post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, which she self-medicated with cannabis.
“She’s didn’t obtain commercial payment from the drugs, they were mostly for personal use, however she did admit to supplying dangerous drugs to persons in exchanges for chores around the home.”
Magistrate Andrew Sinclair placed Haigh on a nine month probation order and no conviction was recorded.
Mark Holton, 53, faced Kingaroy District Court on February 15, 2021, on two charges of supplying a dangerous drug and possession of a mobile phone used in the commission of a crime.
The court was told in May 2020, police executed a search warrant at the single father‘s home where they found clip sealed bags that contained 0.1 grams of methamphetamine, used needles and syringes that had not been appropriately disposed of, and a glass pipe among other things.
Holton was sentenced to nine months in prison, which was suspended for three years.
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