Drug dealing dad uses codes to sell meth
A Coast dad who was found with meth and marijuana during an early morning raid of his home has faced court.
Police & Courts
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An early morning raid on a family home in Woombye which uncovered meth, marijuana and cutting agents was triggered by a suspicious phone call, a court heard.
At 5am on December 3, 2018, police raided Jake James Mcdonald's house after intercepting a phone call the then 28-year-old received about a drug deal.
Mcdonald, his partner and their young daughter were in the main bedroom at the time, where police found a clip seal bag with 0.013g of methamphetamine in a cupboard.
During the search police discovered 645g of a "moist, off white substance" used as a cutting agent, crown prosecutor Stipe Drinovac said.
In a shed, police found 0.029g of a substance containing meth, 1g of marijuana, a clip seal bag with trace amounts of meth, empty capsules, two digital scales and a first aid kit.
They also found 90g of a white cutting agent, 16.5g of the white substance in another container and a small amount of a light blue cutting agent.
During the search police also found Mcdonald's phone and he gave officers his pass code.
"This forms the basis for the supply offences," Mr Drinovac said.
He said the phone received a text message from a person looking to buy a "half ball of methamphetamine" on behalf of another person.
McDonald replied to the text that he was "unaware" of the deal and could not supply the drug but asked about meeting the person later.
Mr Drinovac said the phone call that led to the search warrant had been intercepted on August 19.
"(A person) asked if he had any 'coffee' ready," he said.
"(McDonald) said he had tested it … the person asked him to save a bit for him and he said he would."
Mr Drinovac said the conversation was a code for a drug deal.
He said Mcdonald's offences were serious and that methamphetamines caused "havoc" in the community.
McDonald was held in the watch-house for three days after his 2018 arrest.
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Supported by his mother, his partner with their newborn baby and his boss, McDonald faced the Maroochydore District Court on Thursday.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully supplying dangerous drugs and one each of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing a thing used in connection with supplying drugs and possessing things used to produce a dangerous drug.
Defence barrister Nathan Turner said McDonald, now 30, was focused on turning his life around and was "genuinely sorry" for his behaviour.
He said McDonald had been working full time with East Coast Contractors and was subcontracted to a dairy company in the Coast's hinterland.
Mr Turner said McDonald and his partner of 10 years had two daughters, one who was born last week.
"Is his partner a drug addict too?" Judge Deborah Richards asked.
Mr Turner said she was not.
"But she was happy living in a house with a drug addict with two small children?" Judge Richards said.
Mr Turner said McDonald had cut off contact with former associates and was abstaining from using illicit drugs.
The court heard McDonald's drug problem had been exacerbated when he was stabbed in the neck in 2015 and was left with lasting nerve damage, but he had since been prescribed medication.
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"You are no longer a young person, you're considered to be a mature person in the eyes of the court," Judge Richards said in her sentencing remarks.
"The offences are reasonably old.
"Although I have no proof you're no longer using drugs, you are at least in full time employment.
"You should really get some counselling for the drug use."
Judge Richards sentenced McDonald to one year in jail with immediate release on parole.
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