Nathan Braddock jailed for over four years after being found guilty of drug trafficking

A drug dealer has been jailed after he foolishly tried to blame his meth stash on his dead friend, despite being caught red-handed flushing it down the toilet.

A drug dealer tried to blame a meth stash on his dead friend, despite being caught red-handed flushing it down the toilet.

Nathan Walter Braddock, 42, was jailed for over four years after neither a judge nor a jury believed his lie that he was simply turning a “blind eye”.

During sentencing, the District Court heard police attended his house in October 2021.

“As soon as the STAR Force officers came in you ran to the lavatory at the back of the house and attempted to flush the methamphetamine down the toilet,” Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said.

A STAR Force officer arrested Braddock and recovered the drugs which had not been flushed, which weighed about 22g.

Nathan Braddock was jailed for over four years. Photo: File

They also found a box containing 25 Suboxone strips in a hole dug in the garage and $12,655.

Braddock gave evidence at trial that it was not him who ran with the drugs into the toilet and also denied knowledge of the Suboxone.

A search of Braddock’s mobile phone revealed he had been trafficking methamphetamine for a month and financial records suggested he had been for longer.

“At trial you falsely said that a friend, who is now dead, was trafficking in drugs from your house, to which you turned a blind eye,” Mr Barrett said.

“You said that the financial records were largely conducted by him because you had given him access to your bank accounts.”

The methamphetamine was valued up to $17,000 and the Suboxone was worth up to $10,000.

The court heard Braddock was on home detention bail for other drug trafficking charges, which he was later acquitted of, at the time of the offending.

Braddock, of Mount Gambier, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of drug trafficking after a trial.

The court heard Braddock now accepted the jury’s verdict, explaining he foolishly decided to “roll the dice” as he and his partner had a son born last year.

“I give very little weight to your present claim to be remorseful about this offending,” Mr Barrett said.

The court heard Braddock’s son died from Meningococcal B in 2018, shortly after he was released from prison for previous drug trafficking offences.

The court heard Braddock, who was employed in traffic management, began using amphetamines when he was in early 30s.

Mr Barrett sentenced him to four years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.

The sentence was backdated to October 28.

Originally published as Nathan Braddock jailed for over four years after being found guilty of drug trafficking