Virus ban rule breaker took drugs into remote community
A man illegally entered a remote Aboriginal town during lockdown telling police he was attending a funeral. But then cops made a damning discovery.
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A man who illegally entered a remote Aboriginal community closed to protect its residents from coronavirus told police he was attending a funeral.
But when police searched the man’s belongings after he fled into a dry riverbed, they found 1000 clip seal bags, including 15 filled with drugs.
Christopher Lloyd Norman Whitfield pleaded guilty to four charges in Holland Park Magistrates Court this morning (July 21) including obstruction of police, failing to comply with an emergency requirement, possessing property suspected of having being used for a drug offence and possessing dangerous drugs.
Police prosecutor Snr-Constable Laura Newell told the court that Whitfield and two other men were stopped by police on May 3 at Burketown, in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
“He said they were travelling to Doomadgee for a funeral but they were told they could not enter the area without (permission),’’ Snr-Constable Newell said.
Nine days later, Whitfield was found at Nine Mile outstation, near Doomadgee.
“Police saw him and another man in a shed. They ran and police shouted that they were under arrest,’’ Sen-Constable Newell said.
Police kept on shouting at them that they were under arrest before chasing them about 100m into a dry riverbed, where they gave themselves up.
A search of the property later found 15 clip seal bags in the centre of a glass table containing cannabis.
Snr-Constable Newell said police would allege it was there for commercial purposes.
A knapsack was also found, containing 1000 clip seal bags and scales.
Magistrate Simon Young said while there was no charge relating to the commercial sale of drugs, he had presided in remote communities and the presence of so many bags in a far-flung indigenous community “sends up red flags’’.
Snr-Constable Newell said the federal biosecurity declaration for coronavirus, declared on March 18, ended on June 18 so Whitfield was in breach of it.
Mr Young, who pointed out that the biosecurity breach carried a maximum sentence of five years, adjourned the matter for sentence on August 4.
He released Whitfield on bail.