‘Deplorable’ rap sheet: Drugs, cash dropped in police chopper chase

A man whose criminal history was branded “deplorable” has reappeared in court charged with drug offences.

Blair Richard Milne leaving Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday. Picture: Liam Kidston

A father with a “deplorable” criminal history has landed back in court after he dropped a bag of drugs and cash as he tried to flee a police helicopter that was tracking him.

Blair Richard Milne, 36, denied having ever seen the bag when police caught up to him, but later pleaded guilty, conceding the drugs were his.

He faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday and was sentenced for two counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

The court heard on the evening of June 22, 2021, a police helicopter began tracking Milne driving a car at high speeds in the Loganlea area south of Brisbane before he parked the car and fled on foot.

“You then ran away and began to jump fences and run through backyards and as you did this you dropped a bag on the ground which contained three clip-seal bags,” Justice Elizabeth Wilson said.

“The first containing 15.45g of pure cocaine in 20.278g of substance.

“The other two bags together cumulatively contained just over 2.5g of pure methamphetamine in just over 3.5g of substance.”

The bag also contained $23,000 cash split into five bundles.

The drugs were worth between $4000 and $15,000.

The court heard Milne, a father of four, had 15 prior convictions for possessing dangerous drugs and had been on parole for drug offending at the time of his arrest.

Justice Wilson accepted submissions Milne had sold drugs to fund his own addiction and there was no evidence he used the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Milne spent 329 days in custody after his arrest and served out the balance of the previous sentence for drug offending.

Justice Wilson did not declare that as time served, but did take it into account when sentencing Milne.

He was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of three years and two years with immediate parole release.

“General deterrence and personal deterrence are relevant features in sentencing you here today,” Justice Wilson said.

“Personal deterrence clearly because of your criminal history, which the Crown prosecutor described as deplorable, and that’s a pretty fair characterisation.”