Benjamin Ashley Ogden: Miami man sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court for drug trafficking

A homeless man who trafficked meth, marijuana and GHB to support his drug habit was a “hardworking, family man” before a series of tragedies led to an addiction to pain pills.

A homeless man who trafficked meth, marijuana and GHB to support his drug habit was a “hardworking, family man” before a “series of tragedies” led to an addiction to pain pills, a Brisbane court has heard.

Miami man Benjamin Ashley Ogden, 41, trafficked the drugs for about three months in 2020, selling street level and occasionally wholesale quantities, the Brisbane Supreme Court heard on Tuesday.

Ogden was “living rough” and was homeless at the time, said defence barrister Nicholas McGhee.

He said Ogden had “negative peer influences” and was using drugs when he began trafficking.

“The money he was earning he was putting back into his own habit,” Mr McGhee said.

The court heard it was unclear how many supplies Ogden made during the period of his offending but that he sold to at least 23 customers, some of whom would on sell the drugs to their own customers.

Thirteen of his customers purchased GHB, a party and common date-rape drug.

To organise sales, Ogden would use communication apps which deleted data after a certain amount of time.

In March 2020, Ogden was caught driving a BMW with registration plates belonging to another car.

When police searched the car they found him in possession of 111.4g of a substance containing 79.63g of pure meth.

He was also driving while disqualified and his roadside drug test was positive for amphetamines.

Ogden was charged with further unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences after failing to return a rental car and again when police found his fingerprints on a stolen car in Broadbeach Waters.

In June 2020, police intercepted Ogden at a Covid-19 checkpoint at Tugun, where he was again driving while disqualified, and had one Viagra tablet in his wallet, for which he had no prescription.

Ogden was charged with trafficking in July 2020 and granted Supreme Court Bail in March 2021, but he was returned to prison on a warrant in November 2021.

Ogden faced the court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to several offences including trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, drug driving, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and driving while disqualified by court order.

The court heard that Ogden, while in the grips of his addiction, had previously been dealt with for an aggravated armed robbery, in which he held up a pharmacy with a knife and stole oxycontin in 2013.

When he was sentenced for this matter, the court heard he was a “hardworking, family man” who had suffered a series of tragedies which led to his addiction.

Mr McGhee said Ogden had a “promising” career in rugby league before a car accident ruined his chances of playing professionally and resulted in a dependence on oxycontin.

Later, doctors had to remove one of Ogden’s kidneys and he continued using pain medication and later used meth.

Mr McGhee said Ogden made attempts to get off the drugs but began using again in 2015 when he started working night shifts and he then started using heavily following the breakdown of his long term marriage.

He said Ogden had a desire to turn his life around.

Justice Elizabeth Wilson gave Ogden a head sentence of four years and declared 320 days of pre-sentence custody as time served.

He was disqualified from driving for two years and a serious drug offence certificate was issued.