Thornlands’ John Alexander McLean, 44, sentenced for thousands in coke sales

A formerly successful businessman brought down by a drug task force faces 1.5 years in jail should he reoffend, a court has heard.

A former business development manager busted with near $5,000 in cash from cocaine sales has been told he has the key to a possible 18-month actual jail term in his hands, as the last of his charges were finalised at court.

Sentenced at district court in January to 18 months’ jail wholly suspended for two years for supplying illegal drugs, John Alexander McLean, 44, of Thornlands pleaded guilty to seven charges at Cleveland Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

They included possessing dangerous drugs, unlawful possession of restricted drugs and possessing property suspected of having been used in the commission of a drug offence.

The court heard police working under tactical task force Sierra Pace in August 2020 used “law enforcement participants”, covert surveillance and warrants to investigate the sale of cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) by a co-offender of McLean’s when he was caught in its midst.

An October 2020 raid on a River Gum Terrace residence at 10:30am in Thornlands busted the former business development manager with a slew of drugs and ill gotten cash, the court was told.

According to a police prosecutor, McLean gave police access to his mobile phone which revealed drug-related evidence and the use of an encrypted app.

Thornlands’ John Alexander McLean, 44, leaves Cleveland Magistrates Court. Picture: Marcel Baum.

Officers found $4,900 in cash from cocaine sales, a rolled $20 note with cocaine residue, a brown bag with syringes, 18 tablets of oxandrolone (anabolic steroid medication), 10 tablets of oxycodone (Endone), 50 tablets of the growth hormone anastrozole, digital scales for measuring drugs, and clipseal bags with cocaine residue.

McLean admitted to police he used the materials to inhale cocaine, according to the prosecution.

The offending came on the back of a criminal history that included drug offending in 2005 and 2015.

Defence solicitor Nathan Hounsell said his client formerly had a promising career as a business development manager and had taken his significant sentence at district court in January to heart.

The court heard McLean currently lived with family while on disability support.

The defendant said he was in a “bad state” at the time of his offending, was currently under the treatment of a psychologist and GP and planned on entering a drug rehabilitation centre.

Magistrate Zachary Sarra denounced the defendant for putting the community at significant risk and marvelled at the man’s storage of drug activity on his mobile phone.

“It is a smart phone, but dumb criminals,” Mr Sarra said.

McLean’s proactive attitude to rehabilitation was acknowledged and it was noted, had he been sentenced for his remaining charges in January, he would not have received a greater sentence.

“You have the key to 18 months’ jail … today is a very defining day for you,” Mr Sarra said.

McLean was convicted and not further punished.