Leigh Lawrence George McArdle and Nikkii Dobinson plead guilty to producing marijuana

A magistrate had some stern words for the young parents when they appeared before the Bowen court on charges of producing dangerous drugs.

Nikkii Dobinson and Leigh Lawrence George McArdle pleaded guilty to producing and possessing dangerous drugs.

A young Bowen couple has received a dressing down from a magistrate after police discovered a marijuana crop on their property.

Magistrate James Morton told Nikkii Dobinson, 20, and Leigh Lawrence George McArdle, 24, to clean up their acts as parents of a seven-month-old child and “keep off the drugs”, after police discovered the crop on May 14.

Bowen Magistrates Court heard police responding to a tip-off found 47 individually-potted marijuana plants on a creek line at the rear of the couple’s property, as well as 18 grams of dried marijuana, 11 marijuana seeds, and several bongs inside the couple’s house.

Mcardle initially told police “anyone could’ve put them [the plants] there”, but in court this week, both he and Dobinson pleaded guilty to possessing and producing dangerous drugs.

Leigh Lawrence George McArdle, right, told Bowen Magistrates Court he had quit his job at a farm to focus on his son.

McArdle, who also pleaded guilty to possessing utensils, told the court he was unemployed, did not have many friends, and smoking helped with his depression.

He said he had not consulted a doctor about being depressed as he did “not like talking about it”.

Mr Morton said “smoking dope [was] not going to make things any better”, and called the $1600 fortnightly Centrelink payments the stay-at-home parents had been receiving “a waste of money”.

“I’d feel down if I was you too, you’re not doing anything – are you going to go and get a job at some stage?” Mr Morton asked McArdle.

To Dobinson, Mr Morton said: “You ought to know better as the mother of the child. You letting this happen, when you’re the mother, is a concern.”

Considering each offender’s lack of criminal history, Mr Morton sentenced McArdle to pay a $500 fine and forfeit the drugs and related items.

Dobinson was ordered to pay a $400 fine.

No convictions were recorded.