Named: Warwick residents front court over meth, marijuana offences

From residents busted with drug stashes in their homes to serial drug drivers and more, these are the people sentenced in the Warwick court recently.

A Warwick man growing his own stash of marijuana and selling the drug as a side hustle was just one of the drug offenders sentenced in court recently.

Police raided Leonard Charles Junior Smith’s home on July 28, uncovering 245g of marijuana along with a bong, grinder, and scales.

Police prosecutor Ken Wiggan told Warwick Magistrates Court the 32-year-old then came clean about his selling the drug to earn some extra cash in the preceding months.

“He said he’d meet people away from his house to deal cannabis, and said he’d make about $200 a week,” Sergeant Wiggan said.

Smith appeared in court with some drug-related criminal history.

Duty lawyer Phillip Crook said the Warwick man’s new partner, who was supporting him in the courtroom, had been an important part of helping him straighten out his life.

Mr Crook added that Smith was booked in to begin drug rehabilitation the week following his court appearance.

Smith’s ongoing struggle with drug addiction was acknowledged by acting magistrate Rob Turra, who urged him to continue down this new path and turn his life around for the sake of his family.

Smith pleaded guilty to one count each of supplying dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing drug utensils.

He was placed on probation for 12 months.

These were the other residents sentenced for drug crimes in Warwick Magistrates Court recently:

Kevin John Liddelow claimed the stash of restricted drugs and utensils found in his car was a remnant from his past lifestyle.

Officers searched his Allora home on September 7 and located more than 50 tablets of Viagra or similar medication in his Volkswagen Polo, along with meth residue in a shoe in the boot and two pipes in a tyre cavity.

Prosecutor Bettina Trenear told the Warwick court Liddelow denied owning the meth or pipes before claiming they were his roommate’s.

The 57-year-old eventually owned up to buying the pills through an online supplier, acknowledging he should have gone to an actual pharmacy with his prescription instead.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman said Liddelow was currently serving a suspended jail sentence for meth-related offences, and moved to the region from the Gold Coast for a fresh start.

She added that her client didn’t necessarily believe the utensils were his, but accepted they were in his possession at the time and at least one may have been thrown in with belongings mailed to him by a relative.

Liddelow pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully possessing restricted drugs and one count of possessing drug utensils.

His suspended sentence was extended by three months in addition to a $600 fine.

Naomi Lee Keegan, 42

A series of run-ins with police in only a few months landed Naomi Lee Keegan in court facing a string of charges.

Warwick Magistrates Court was told Keegan’s trouble began when police found a glass meth pipe on a chair in her front yard on March 15.

It was only a couple of weeks later on April 1 that officers nabbed the 42-year-old behind the wheel with meth in her system and a licence that expired in November last year.

Sergeant Wiggan said the mother-of-four became irate when police told her the car would be immobilised, yelling “Are you f —king joking? You’re full of s —t” and other obscenities despite being warned other members of the public were nearby.

Keegan was again caught drug driving only weeks later, and was busted with another pipe and clip seal bags with meth residue in her handbag on June 7.

She also failed to appear in the Warwick court as directed on June 7.

Defence lawyer Hamish Chapman said the Warwick woman had suffered significant stress due to workplace bullying and relationship issues, but was of otherwise good character and focused on getting her life back on track.

Keegan pleaded guilty to two counts each of drug driving and possessing a drug utensil, and one count each of public nuisance, contravening a police requirement, unlicensed driving, and failing to appear.

She was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for five months.

Adam Edward Hart fronted court after a police raid uncovered drugs and unauthorised firearms and ammunition in his home.

Police prosecutor Ken Wiggan said officers raided the man’s Pratten home on April 13, where they found a greenhouse containing remnants of marijuana plants and leaves along with gardening chemicals.

Sergeant Wiggan said police found another 5g of marijuana inside the house as well as a bong and scales.

A search of Hart’s phone uncovered texts about supplying small quantities of the drug to a friend and photos of the marijuana plants he’d been growing in the greenhouse.

He was also busted with a unlicensed shotgun he claimed to be minding for a friend, a telescopic baton, and 0.22 calibre ammunition.

Defence lawyer Nathan Bouchier told the court his client was using marijuana to self-medicate and giving it to his friend so they could do the same, but had since been given a medicinal prescription for the drug.

Hart pleaded guilty to two counts each of supplying dangerous drugs and unlawful possession of a weapon.

He pleaded guilty to a further count each of possessing dangerous drugs, producing dangerous drugs, possessing drug utensils, and possessing unauthorised explosives.

He was fined $1200 and no conviction was recorded.

Travis Benjamin Tate, 22

A strong smell of marijuana coming from a car in which Travis Benjamin Tate was a passenger was enough to give away his small drug stash to police.

Officers pulled over and searched the vehicle at 7.15pm on August 20, with Tate and the other two occupants all claiming they had nothing to declare.

Prosecutor Bettina Trenear said it wasn’t until police searched the boot and found 3.9g of marijuana hidden inside Tate’s duffel bag, which he admitted was for his personal use.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman told the Warwick court the 22-year-old turned to marijuana to self-medicate his depression, which he’d suffered following the breakdown of his parents’ relationship and death of his father.

Tate pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a dangerous drug. He was placed on a three-month good behaviour bond and ordered to complete a drug diversion program.

No conviction was recorded.

Lee-Ann Kearns was sentenced on three drug charges after a police raid brought her addiction to light.

Detectives raided the woman’s Warwick home on August 19, with the 49-year-old immediately indicating she had illegal items in her bedroom.

Kearns was busted with three glass pipes and two clip seal bags with meth residue in them, telling officers she used ice once a week if she could afford it.

Defence lawyer Hamish Chapman said his client turned to the drug as a coping mechanism after the death of her partner, but was working to break her habit.

Kearns pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing drug utensils and possessing an item used in connection with a crime.

She was fined $350.