Toowoomba man Daniel Lander jailed for dealing drugs, crystal meth, GHB

A Toowoomba drug dealer who botched his getaway by crashing a stolen car in a yard when officers came knocking has been sentenced for supplying drugs including GHB and meth.

Toowoomba man Daniel John Lander pleaded guilty to 25 counts of supplying a dangerous drug and possessing a phone used in connection with a crime. Picture: iStock

A Toowoomba man who pleaded with a judge to release him from jail so he could support his mother through a difficult Christmas period has been sentenced for dealing dangerous drugs.

At the Toowoomba District Court on Friday, November 1, Daniel John Lander pleaded guilty to 25 counts of supplying a dangerous drug and possessing a phone used in connection with a crime.

The 35-year-old, who was dealing to supplement his drug habit, had his phone seized by officers when he was arrested in August 2023 after police attended a Toowoomba address.

The court heard offices heard a loud bang and found Lander in an attempt to flee crashed a stolen car into a fence.

The phone revealed he organised 15 meth drug deals, six GHB deals, one cannabis deal, and three deals relating to unknown drugs, however one supply was said to have occurred which was 3.5g of meth.

The court heard while in custody the father, who had a 12-page criminal history mostly relating to property crime and unlawful use, had stayed clean and completed a number of courses.

Lander pleaded with Judge Dennis Lynch KC to release him before Christmas 2024, as his mother needed support after losing someone close to her, which occurred after his cousin died in custody.

He said he took full responsibility for his behaviour, was clean for the first time, and had no incidents while in jail.

Judge Lynch told Lander he would receive a minimal sentence, however it would not see him released in time for the holiday season.

He told Lander he brought the punishment upon himself, and if he wanted to stay out of prison and better support his family, he needed to stop offending.

Lander was sentenced to an 18-month jail term and the 456 days he spent in custody was declared time served.

The court heard Lander had about three months left to serve before he was eligible for release on parole.

Originally published as Toowoomba man Daniel Lander jailed for dealing drugs, crystal meth, GHB