Gatton Tiger behind bars charged with supplying meth from ‘heavily fortified, monitored’ residence
A former super middleweight world champion boxer will remain in custody charged with supplying meth and possession of guns, tasers and a silencer after appearing in a southeast Queensland court on Tuesday.
Redlands Coast
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Former world super middleweight boxing champion Ricky Thornberry has had his bail denied as he faced charges of supplying methamphetamine.
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A scowling Thornberry was clearly displeased as he was led out of the dock after Magistrate Deborah Vasta determined him to be too great a risk for release at his Cleveland Magistrates Court bail hearing today.
The former champ faced a string of serious drug charges including 22 for supplying dangerous drugs and is scheduled to next appear before court on January 14.
The court heard Thornberry was alleged to have been “higher up in the food chain” than a man he was “caught with” in May of last year who allegedly had 28 grams of Ice and more than $7000 in his possession.
And in June of last year, the court was told, another man leaving Thornberry’s “heavily fortified and monitored” residence was alleged to have been in possession of $6000 in cash uncovered by intercepting police officers.
Further adding to the magistrate’s concerns were allegations that the defendant was also found in possession of two guns, two tasers and a silencer.
However, she clarified “that it seemed” the guns could only shoot darts.
Defence solicitor Tania Lacy said her client’s last criminal history dated back to seven-and-a-half years ago and included no instances of breach of bail.
Ms Lacy further said Thornberry supported himself by fixing trailers, was willing to report daily to police and wear a tracking device while staying in Rochedale.
All of which did little to assuage the magistrate’s concerns, the court heard.
“This address you are staying at is heavily monitored with CCTV and heavily fortified which makes me suspect that you are involved in the drug trade,” magistrate Vasta said.
“There are prolonged alleged periods of intercepts of you engaged in this activity so I am starting to think that you are very much in the thick of it.”
Thornberry, who was described at court as having a “long history of drug offending”, was once one of the world’s leading pugilists taking out national, Commonwealth and world super middleweight titles before his career denouement at the hands of one Anthony Mundine in 2002.
Also known as The Gatton Tiger he was spectacularly stopped by Mundine in the late rounds of their bout and called it quits with 27 wins and five defeats to his name.