Ex Lone Wolf bikie Christopher John Taylor refused bail at Brisbane Supreme Court
An ex-Lone Wolf bikie allegedly linked to an international drug import operation involving comic books will remain behind bars after a bid for bail was rejected in Brisbane’s Supreme Court.
Police & Courts
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A former Lone Wolf bikie has been denied bail today at the Brisbane Supreme Court after he was allegedly linked to an international drug import operation, where ice was smuggled into the country via packages listed as comic books.
Christopher John Taylor, 46 was charged with one count of attempted importing or exporting commercial quantities of border controlled drugs, and one count of importing and exporting border controlled drugs.
Crown prosecutor Ryan Godfrey alleged Mr Taylor was importing methamphetamine between January 29 and March 15, 2019.
A number of packages were sent to Mr Taylor’s address, one was intercepted in Australia and allegedly contained methamphetamine, the Court heard.
Furthermore, Mr Godfrey said 254 grams of methamphetamine and approximately $458,000 in cash was found during a police raid at Mr Taylor’s apartment on September 7, 2021.
The Court heard $40,900 was found in a box, $369,850 was in a duffel bag and $43,750 was in a safe.
“This applicant is clearly involved in some sort of operation and set-up,” Mr Godfrey alleged.
“At the very least he has been entrusted with meth … the trafficking charge is very strong”.
The court heard Mr Taylor is due to stand trial with his co-accused in September this year.
The defendant’s lawyer Andrew Owens said the Crown’s case is circumstantial and relies on evidence from other offenders which may not have occurred.
Mr Owens said the defendant believed he was receiving packages on behalf of a “good mate” but didn’t know what was inside.
“His history is littered with possession offences from 1996-2021, all are personal use possessions and don’t have a commercial element to them,” Mr Owens said.
The Court heard the defendant had been suffering from an ongoing drug addiction throughout this time.
Mr Owens said Mr Taylor should be granted bail with a number of conditions, including attending a Residential Rehabilitation Program.
Other conditions ranged from wearing a tracking anklet, a 6pm-5:30am curfew, reporting to police three times per week and random drug testing at Mr Taylor’s expense.
But Justice Glenn Martin said he wasn’t satisfied these conditions could properly ameliorate risk.
“There is a strong commercial element for both groups of offending,” Justice Martin said.
“Mr Taylor has a relatively extensive criminal history that goes for five pages.
“The first group of offences occurred within a period Mr Taylor was on parole … and the second group occurred fairly soon afterwards”.
Justice Martin did not grant bail and Mr Taylor has since been remanded in custody.
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