Damon Jye Miller sentenced in Toowoomba Supreme Court for trafficking methamphetamine

The 26-year-old was caught up in a police raid of his drug dealer’s home and ended up in jail as well.

A 26-year-old man who was both a customer and an “employee” of a Toowoomba drug dealer has been jailed.

Damon Jye Miller had sourced meth from the drug dealer and for 17 days from February 15, 2021, had worked for the drug trafficker by distributing drugs to customers.

Toowoomba Supreme Court on Thursday, May 11, was told Miller had a customer base of his own as well.

Between February 15, 2021, and March 5, 2021, the then 24-year-old had dealt meth at street level of amounts between 0.1g up to 3.5g, the court was told.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court that there had been numerous supplies of drugs during the 17 days with 11 actual supplies and four offers of supply.

It was unclear what Miller’s payment had been, but it was known that he owed the drug dealer in excess of $2000 at one point, she said.

The offending came to light when police executed a search warrant at the primary drug dealer’s Harlaxton home on March 4, 2021.

Miller was at the house at the time, and his mobile phone had been seized which revealed drug deals, Ms Friedewald said.

Toowoomba Courthouse in Hume Street, Toowoomba.

Miller had spent a total 140 days in pre-sentence custody over different stints and he appeared in custody to plead guilty to trafficking meth and possessing a small amount of drug, utensils and a mobile phone used for drug trafficking.

His barrister Scott Lynch told the court after his arrest Miller had rehabilitated and had done three drug screens which were negative and he was “going well”.

However, when he believed he was going back to jail he panicked and returned to drug use, he said.

Since being in custody Mr Lynch told the court his client had become clean of drugs and had organised employment for when he was eventually released as a roofer or assisting his carpenter brother, he said.

“He hopes to do a trade and he has no intention of returning to drugs,” Mr Lynch said.

Justice Peter Callaghan noted the primary drug dealer had been sentenced to four and a half years in jail to serve at least 15 months which had to be taken into account when sentencing Miller as he was a co-offender.

Justice Callaghan sentenced Miller to three years in jail but, declaring the 140 days of pre-sentence custody as time already served under the sentence, ordered he be released on parole as of October 20, 2023.

Originally published as Damon Jye Miller sentenced in Toowoomba Supreme Court for trafficking methamphetamine