Brisbane mechanic Trent Alan McKay enters drug world after mate’s prank

A hardworking mechanic with no criminal history became a drug dealer after a friend’s callous prank, a Brisbane court has heard.

Trent Alan McKay went into a downward spiral.

A hard working Brisbane mechanic with no criminal history became a Fortitude Valley drug dealer after a friend’s callous prank, a court has heard.

Trent Alan Mckay’s “bizarre” transformation from a self-described “home body” to nightclub ecstasy dealer must have left his family’s “heads just spinning”, Supreme Court Justice Peter Callaghan said.

The court heard Mckay’s trafficking occurred over an eight-month period in 2019 primarily on the weekends at the Met nightclub.

Trent Alan Mckay pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs.

The 32-year-old predominantly sold ecstasy, also known as MDMA, but also cocaine on one occasion. He was also caught posting an advertisement for LSD and cannabinoids.

Mckay was brought undone by a police sting involving an undercover officer who approached him in the Met, the court heard.

Crown prosecutor Alysha Ballantine said the quantity sold was “street level” but it occurred on a large scale.

When police raided his home they found just 1000 of the 13,500 capsules he had bought from a company along with a pill machine. Police also seized $4,300 in cash.

Ms Ballantine said Mckay occasionally sold wholesale quantities including 50 pills on two occasions to the undercover cop office along with half an ounce in a crystalline substance.

Mckay predominantly trafficked in MDMA.

Mckay had been a hard working mechanic with no criminal history before he started dealing drugs.

Mckay told the officer he was sourcing half a kilogram of MDMA a week, however his barrister later suggested this was likely untrue.

Mckay today pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs, possessing 4.7 grams of pure MDMA, possessing 3 grams of pure cocaine, and two counts of possessing things used in the commission of a crime.

Barrister John Jacob said his client’s path to becoming a drug dealer was “somewhat unusual”.

“Someone he considered to be a mate put some MDMA in his drink without his knowledge,” he said.

Trent Alan Mckay.

Mckay was sentenced to five years jail to be suspended after 12 months.

From there he began using the drug more frequently until he was consuming “dozens of pills over the weekend”.

“He became increasingly attracted to and immersed in that lifestyle,” he said.

“He came to attach social status and financial success to those involved in the supplying of drugs.”

However once he started selling the drug any profits were swallowed by costs and his drug use, he said.

Mr Jacob said Mckay’s arrest provided the wake up call “he so clearly needed”.

“He described having been scared shitless by his arrest,” he said.

The Met Nightclub in Fortitude Valley

Mckay had been a mechanic for 13 years and came from a “loving and supportive family”.

“Ordinarily he is a hard working contributing member of the community,” he said.

Justice Peter Callaghan said Mckay’s offending was “ as bewildering in some ways” as it was serious.

“It’s truly quite bizarre if you look at his background,” he said.

“Somehow something triggered this crazy idea about lifestyle, attended by some fantasy of wealth and success. I’m told your supplier planted this idea, that makes sense.

“Of course you now realise that it was all an illusion.”

Mckay was sentenced to five years prison to be suspended after 12 months.