Dane Warren Richards sentenced for serial drug offending

A competitive boxer involved in a forbidden love match has been sentenced for his serial meth offending. Read what happened to him here:

Dane Warren Richards was sentenced to 18 months prison in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to 26 charges including eight counts of possessing dangerous drugs. Picture: Social media

A Mooloolaba man involved in a forbidden love match has avoided time behind bars for his serial meth offending, a court has heard.

Dane Warren Richards was sentenced to 18 months’ prison in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to 26 charges including eight counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

The court heard Richards was found with a total of 5.9g of meth on several occasions between July 28, 2021 and February 9, 2022.

A schedule of facts document tendered to the court states Richards was found with 2.5g of the drug, marijuana and two knives in his pants pocket and bum bag on July 28, 2021 near Diddillibah’s Waterfront Hotel.

The document said Richards was also a passenger in a car parked in Minyama on August 7, 2021 when he was found with 1.19g of meth and drug utensils including a butane torch and a glass meth pipe.

The 30-year-old also had 1g of meth stashed in his underwear on August 30, 2021 and was found with needles, clip seal bags and scales disguised as electronic keys on different occasions.

Police prosecutor David Hoffman said Richards was on bail when he was found “incoherent and heavily drug affected” in a blue Honda Civic on Tallow Wood Drive, Kuluin on February 9.

During a search of the car Richards was found with cannabis, a plastic bottle of GHB, digital scales and clip seal bags.

The schedule of facts states Richards’ now former girlfriend Jessica Lesley Lee, who was living with the man in the car, was allegedly found with approximately 32g of meth, cocaine, prescription medication and drug utensils.

Ms Lee was charged with seven offences including three counts of possessing dangerous drugs and was forbidden to see Richards during her bail application on February 10.

Dane Warren Richards was sentenced to 18 months prison in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to 26 charges including eight counts of possessing dangerous drugs. Picture: Social media

During her quest for bail the court heard contact with her former lover increased Ms Lee’s risk of reoffending.

In Richards’ sentencing on Tuesday the court heard the pair had officially ended their de facto relationship.

Senior Constable Hoffman asked for a 12 to 18-month prison sentence to be imposed for Richards’ “escalating” offending.

“His moral culpability is high,” he said.

Defence solicitor Chantelle Allen said the 30-year-old competitive boxer was heavily using drugs and suffering poor mental health at the time of his offending.

Ms Allen said he had suffered injuries including a broken jaw and elbow and was using drugs to manage the pain.

She said Richards had accepted his behaviour was unacceptable and admitted to having a long standing drug problem.

Ms Allen said Richards had hopes of moving to Brisbane, reconnecting with family and working towards starting his own business.

She asked for a prison sentence to be wholly suspended and accompanied by a probation order to assist with his rehabilitation.

“That one’s too easy,” Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said.

Mr Stjernqvist said Richards hadn’t been deterred from offending in the past and continued to offend even when on bail and waiting for sentence.

After considering the offending and Richards’ circumstances Mr Stjernqvist imposed an 18-month prison sentence and released him on parole immediately.

Convictions were recorded.