North Stradbroke Island man cops to thousands in coke claimed for personal use

A Stradbroke Island businessman has been sentenced after he was charged with possessing dangerous drugs, with police finding as much as $3000 worth of cocaine, and other drugs, in a raid.

A self-made businessman caught with thousands of dollars worth of cocaine at his home has told a court he planned to use it to see himself through the ravages of a particularly hard-hitting insolvency.

Fronting Cleveland Magistrates Court on Tuesday Robert Gerald Lewers, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing dangerous drugs schedule one drug quantity of or exceeding schedule three but less than schedule four, one count of possessing dangerous drugs and one count of possessing drug utensils.

The court heard the North Stradbroke Island man and father of three made admissions to police about his drug possession when they served a warrant at his Boreen St property around 11.15am on October 7 at Point Lookout.

A police prosecutor said officers would find between $2000 and $3000 worth of cocaine, 590 grams of cannabis and drug utensils.

Robert Lewers leaves Cleveland Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to possessing thousands of dollars in cocaine at his North Stradbroke Island home. Picture: Marcel Baum

A letter tendered to the court clarified the cannabis was used for a solution to treat Lewers’ ailing dog.

The court was told the incident was the first in such offending in six years for the man who made a name for himself winning government contracts concreting skate parks and the like Australia-wide.

Defence solicitor Tanya Lacy said her client had been using drugs for the past 18 months while battling a traumatic business insolvency and stressed that the substantial amount of cocaine was for his personal use.

Ms Lacy further said the defendant fortnightly seeks counselling and would be significantly affected should he receive a conviction.

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Self-employed since he was 19, the court was told, Lewers had built up a high-achieving business by age 30 and had suffered insolvencies before rebuilding.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta congratulated the man on his ability at renewal but warned him that he was now clearly “on the police radar”.

Lewers was sentenced to two years’ probation with no conviction recorded.