Farron Roy Winkworth sentenced in Warwick District Court for drug trafficking

A Warwick dad maintained a large-scale drug operation, making tens of thousands of dollars across hundreds of drug deals, but it all came undone. Read how his empire fell here.

A Southern Downs dad learnt his fate in court after his drug operation was uncovered and the true scale of his offending was revealed.

Farron Roy Winkworth faced Warwick District Court on Thursday facing a raft of charges relating to a drug operation that Winkworth orchestrated saw him receive more than half a kilogram of cannabis a week from metropolitan suppliers, as well as actively seek out customers.

The court was told during the sentence that Winkworth was motivated “purely by profit” and not to feed a drug habit of his own.

Winkworth pleaded guilty to nine drug offences, including trafficking dangerous drugs, one count of possessing a dangerous drug, seven charges of supplying dangerous drugs, two of possessing drug property.

Additionally, there were other charges which Winkworth further pleaded guilty to, including possessing property used in connection to a drug offence, being three phones used to arrange deals.

Furthermore, a final three summary charges mentioned – two charges of possession $13,320 suspected of being proceeds of crime, as well as possessing antidepressants without a script.

Farron Roy Winkworth outside Warwick District Court on Wednesday 31 May

The court was told the now 40-year-old’s business was “booming” and that he supplied drugs on “at least 130 occasions”.

By March 2022, Winkworth was raking in tens of thousands of dollars, and had reached out to supply methamphetamine to clients.

Legal officer acting on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions Sarah Hibbert told the court the operation went from December 2021 to April 2022, with Winkworth selling quantities at both street level and at wholesale.

It was unknown how much profit was generated off his operation, with Ms Hibbert telling the court “it’s unknown as the defendant allowed credit” and was “frequently chasing debts and wasn’t making enough money out of it” as he told police.

“In March 2022, his PayID account was just over $20,000, and this account was not receiving Centrelink payments, so it can be assumed the majority was proceeds of trafficking,” she said.

On April 29 2022, Winkworth was located by police and $7850 in cash was found stashed in the car.

The father-of-two made the admission to police that the offending “just sort of happened” and claimed he could not remember his phone passcode.

Judge Dennis Lynch KC said Winkworth “might count himself a bit lucky to not be going back to jail”.

“You were not a drug user during the period, which aggravates the seriousness of it, clearly there was a commercial purpose towards this which is a significant aggravating feature,” Judge Lynch said.

“There may have been an element of gaining acceptance of others, but there was a clearly commercial element and I regard the offending as serious.

“If you engage in this sort of conduct in future, you won't get a sympathetic ear that you’ve gotten this time.”

He was sentenced to a jail term of two years, six months and was released immediately on parole.