‘Chaotic’: How a ‘taste of meth’ led middle aged Brisbane father-of-three into life of crime

A series of unfortunate events have resulted in an upstanding middle-aged north Brisbane father-of-three to pleading guilty to weapons, drugs and fraud charges.

A forced redundancy pushed a middle-aged north Brisbane father into a sordid life of drug addiction and crime in what a prosecutor described as an “unusual” and “chaotic” turn of events at the Sandgate Magistrates Court today.

James Robert Morris, 40, pleaded guilty to 12 offences committed between March and August of 2020, including stealing, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of a weapon and fraud.

The court heard Morris used both Cannabis and Methamphetamines.

The court heard Morris, a father of three, had little-to-no criminal history prior to 2019, but that soon changed after he was made redundant in his position as a machine worker.

Lawyer Rhys Foster from KLM Solicitors told the court Morris had friends who used methamphetamines at the time, and they had “given him a taste” in the wake of his new-found unemployment.

“It’s unusual for a man in the middle stages of his life to then have the wheels fall off,” civilian prosecutor for the police Patrick Carey said.

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Carey told the court Morris had stolen a tyre inflation device from a property at Deagon on July 27, drove off without paying for fuel at the BP service station at Bracken Ridge on August 10 and was found with weapon ammunition, “a significant amount” of methamphetamines, mace and a bong at Bracken Ridge on August 13.

The court heard Morris has made a concerted effort to get back on the straight and narrow since his son moved in with him, having taken part in a Lives Lived Well course and completed three months of sobriety.

Magistrate Jennifer Batts sentenced Morris to 18 months of probation and ordered him to forfeit the weapons and stolen items, as well as pay restitution to BP Bracken Ridge.

Convictions were recorded.