Nathan Wilson, 37, pleads guilty to drug trafficking in Toowoomba court
When a customer could not pay their debts, a Toowoomba drug dealer took the unusual step of claiming their pooch as collateral.
Toowoomba
Don't miss out on the headlines from Toowoomba. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Queensland drug dealer has confessed to taking a customer’s pet dog as collateral for an unpaid drug debt.
Beaudesert man Nathan Steven Wilson, 37, pleaded guilty to trafficking and supply of dangerous drugs before Toowoomba Supreme Court on Thursday after police uncovered evidence of a month’s long drug enterprise on his phone.
The court heard, over almost four months, Wilson trafficked dangerous drugs throughout Toowoomba on 59 separate occasions, supplying various small quantities of methylamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis, the psychedelic DMT, and other illicit substances.
Prosecution conceded the trafficking was at “street level” and of “low sophistication”; with Wilson charging between $50 to $400 per transaction and enticing his existing customers to find new customers on his behalf.
The court heard Wilson also supplied on credit, taking one customer’s dog as collateral for an unpaid debt of $500, later selling the dog to another customer.
When police initially questioned Wilson on messages exchanged with customers, he claimed the coded texts referred to “healing crystals and gardening supplies”.
Defence barrister Nathan Edridge said Wilson’s offending stemmed from a long history of drug misuse triggered by a death in the family.
He argued supervised parole release would allow Wilson to overcome his addiction and lead a better life.
“(His addiction) is a live issue,” Mr Edridge said.
“He has worked on his rehabilitation but it could be he has an ongoing issue and importantly parole would likely greatly assist him in undergoing the treatment that is recommended.
“He accepts that illicit substances are a maladaptive coping mechanism, and he wants to get treatment.”
Justice Catherine Muir sentenced Wilson to three years imprisonment with immediate parole.
“You had some difficult experiences in your life,” she said.
“The difficulty for you seems to be using drugs as a coping mechanism when things go wrong.
“The fact that you’ve spoken to others about your offending is an important step for someone to take.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Nathan Wilson, 37, pleads guilty to drug trafficking in Toowoomba court
‘Once-in-a-generation’: Land for major housing estate hits market
A huge parcel of land near the upcoming Toowoomba Hospital site is now for sale, as buyers prepare to turn it into a massive estate featuring hundreds of homes.
Mother of children killed in fatal house fire used multiple names in different states
A woman under police guard after the death of three of her children in a suspicious Toowoomba house fire had used multiple names in different states.