Rent inspector discovers meth lab in Townsville home

A convicted armed robber who held a replica firearm to the head of a supermarket worker before stealing $1800 from a safe has again been jailed for a string of serious offending in Townsville.

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A CONVICTED armed robber who held a replica firearm to the head of a supermarket worker before stealing $1800 from its safe has again been jailed for a string of serious offending in Townsville.

Jason Niki Burley, 52, pleaded guilty to three offences in the Townsville District Court on April 30.

The charges were producing a dangerous drug, possessing relevant things and possessing things used in the commission of producing dangerous drugs.

The court heard Burley was arrested after his meth operation was busted by police following an inspection of his rental property by its agent.

Crown Prosecutor Shannon Sutherland said Burley had been staying at his defacto partner’s home for a week when the property’s rental manager inspected it in August 2019.

Ms Sutherland said the manager discovered items consistent with a meth lab, which she photographed before advising police.

The court heard police later raided the property but the lab was no longer set up.

Instead cops discovered items consistent with a packed down laboratory that was boxed up including an improvised condensing reaction vessel, condenser and other items consistent with being used for methamphetamine production.

Jason Burley was jailed for a string of serious offences in the Townsville District Court. Photo: Facebook.

Burley’s fingerprints were found on two glass bottles and a storage tub and his DNA was inside gardening gloves located near the set up that had been witnessed by the property manager.

“There was no methylamphetamine or dangerous drug located on any of the items, therefore it is not alleged the defendant actually produced methylamphetamine,” Ms Sutherland said.

Ms Sutherland said Burley was in possession of a mobile phone that was capable of making Google searches that he used to find out how to make illicit substances.

He also had a notebook in his backpack containing a list of equipment used to produce meth.

Burley’s defacto partner provided police with a sworn statement outlining Burley had set up the laboratory two days before the inspection.

No commercial intention was alleged.

The court heard Burley had a violent criminal history across the country with records from New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland stretching more than 30 years.

Burley also had a prior conviction in Queensland for armed robbery where he disguised himself and held a replica firearm to the head of a young female employed at a supermarket in the early hours of the morning before stealing $1800 from a safe.

For that offence, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment, suspended after serving 19 months.

Burley’s barrister, Michael Hibble, said his client had a long history of meth addiction and his life had “effectively gone south for the last 30 years”.

“A lot of what has happened is a bit of a blur to him,” Mr Hibble said.

In sentencing, Judge Gregory Lynham said Burley was prone to acting in an “erratic and concerning way”.

For producing dangerous drugs, Burley was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

For possessing relevant things and possessing things used in connection with producing dangerous drugs he was convicted and not further punished.

Burley will be eligible for parole on July 8, with 357 days pre-sentence custody declared.

Originally published as Rent inspector discovers meth lab in Townsville home