Stephen John Halpin in Maroochydore court for breaching trafficking sentence

A Sunshine Coast drug trafficker who ran an advanced weed production facility in shipping containers has found himself back in court. Find out why.

A Sunshine Coast drug trafficker who ran an advanced weed production facility in Coolum Beach and Noosa has breached his suspended sentence.

Stephen John Halpin, now 54, was previously sentenced for producing cannabis and trafficking in Gympie District Court on April 7, 2021 to 18 months’ prison suspended for 2.5 years after serving four months.

Halpin faced Maroochydore District Court on August 26, 2022, for breaching his suspended sentence.

The court heard even though Halpin was taken into custody on April 7, the marijuana trafficking continued without him until April 29, 2021.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said Halpin’s aid in the trafficking before he was imprisoned allowed the production to carry on while he was no longer actively involved.

“Before he goes to jail, he had done acts which enabled others to traffic knowing that’s what they were going to do and it continued until everyone else got arrested on April 29,” Mr Stark said.

Defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown agreed that his client was liable for the trafficking that continued.

Stephen John Halpin leaves Maroochydore District Court.

“He did not make any steps to remove himself from the criminal responsibility, he is still liable for the entirety of the trafficking period,” Mr Ygoa-McKeown said.

Mr Stark said the offending involved a joint “highly professional” commercial enterprise with a production facility made out of shipping containers at Coolum Beach and later at Noosa.

The equipment was estimated to be worth just under $95,000, with 350 plants of various heights weighing 31.452kg found.

The growing cannabis was given an estimated wholesale value of $235,000, while the harvested the cannabis was worth $122,000.

Mr Ygoa-McKeown said his client had worked hard as a tradesman throughout his life.

Halpin suffered a motorcycle accident in 1987 that led to physical pain and subsequently his use of marijuana.

Mr Ygoa-McKeown said when his client breached the suspended sentence he was somewhat passive and not as active in the trafficking.

Judge Glen Cash ordered 139 days as time served and imposed two years’ prison with immediate release on parole.