Aaron William Birch sentenced for supply, possession dangerous drugs

What led to a promising young sportsman’s downfall has been revealed in court after police busted his drug dealings including a $10,000 sale.

Aaron William Birch.

A Sunshine Coast concreter made a $10,000 drug sale among other dodgy dealings after he was released from prison for drug trafficking, a court has been told.

Aaron William Birch, 31, appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on Thursday, December 7, via videolink from custody. He was supported by his father in the public gallery.

The court was told Birch had offered to deal someone alprazam on April 28, 2022, and later on an unknown date between May 4 and 8 sold someone three pounds (1.37kgs) of marijuana for $10,500.

Birch sold that same person one gram of cocaine and 40 millilitres of GBH, and was to split 15 pounds (6.8kgs) of marijuana with this person, but the deal was interrupted.

This was all uncovered when police seized Birch’s phone during a search of his home on May 9, 2022, though Birch refused to hand over his passcode.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told the court police also found 150 suboxone strips, a glass of steroid trenbolone and five broken tablets of xanax.

Aaron William Birch was sentenced in the Maroochydore District Court.

Barrister Daniel Boddice said his client had a good childhood and was a “fantastic sportsman” at school, but was sent to prison for drug trafficking after a relationship breakdown and his mother’s death coincided with each other in 2019.

The court was told he was serving a suspended sentence at the time of the offending.

Mr Boddice said his actions were spurred by hanging around with a negative group of friends, but upon release he was going into a supportive environment with promised work as a concreter around Mount Isa.

Birch pleaded guilty to six charges of supplying a dangerous drug, one of possessing a dangerous drug, one of possessing a thing used in connection of supplying a dangerous drug, and contravening an order about device information from digital device.

He was given a head sentence of three years behind bars with a parole release date of May 20, 2024.

Birch was committed to the Supreme Court to be dealt with for breaching his suspended sentence. He will appear in court on the first sitting date in 2024.