NAMED: Drug offenders of south west Queensland named and shamed
Across the wider region, police have recorded thousands of drug offences in the past year. Here’s who faced court over drug related offences across the southwest region.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Every day in courts across regional Queensland the scourge of drug use is laid bare.
The correlation between drugs and other issues in our communities is well known, with drugs often being a catalyst for property offending, traffic offending and violence.
The crimes related to the drug industry often result in innocent people getting hurt, directly or indirectly.
In the last 12 months across the Darling Downs District, policing data reveals more than 4000 drug offences.
Data shows that drug offences spikes in the colder months, with almost 600 offences committed in July 2024 alone.
Here’s who has faced court, and gone down, for a range of drug offending across our wider region.
WARWICK
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Joshua Jason Watson
A Darling Downs man was sentenced after a substance-fuelled crime spree lasting more than a year came to an end.
Watson, 28, was bulk arraigned and pleaded guiltyi n Warwick Magistrates Court on dozens of charges spanning from November 2022 to March 2024, including possessing methamphetamine over a schedule three quantity and assault occasioning bodily harm in September 2024.
The court was told Watson’s crime spree included a “high number” of property crime, as well as drug matters and enter dwelling charges.
Defence lawyer Sarah Campbell said Watson had spent more than six months in custody since the offending and while “not a young man” he had prospects of rehabilitation.
Magistrate Janice Crawford said Watson’s “high number” of dishonesty offences relating to property and drug matters were evident through the charge list.
Watson was sentenced to two years imprisonment for all matters, with immediate release on parole.
Watson will serve 40 hours of community service, and all property seized.
Jamie John Abbas
A former footballer with a bright future ahead of him has been jailed after police found meth down his pants at a roadside police stop.
On October 12, 2023, one time Warwick footballer Jaime John Abbas, 29, was found in possession of 26.41g of pure methamphetamine stuffed in his underwear when police responded to a suspicious vehicle stopped on the side of Donovan’s Rd at Leyburn.
An operation between NSW and Queensland police revealed the full extent of Abbas’s trafficking scheme covering Goondiwindi and Boggabilla.
The Warwick man appeared in Toowoomba Supreme Court on November 21 and pleaded guilty to trafficking of a dangerous drug and possession of a dangerous drug in excess of 2g.
Abbas supplied or offered to supply methamphetamine seven times over three weeks before his arrest, the court heard.
While the majority of transfers were said to be of minor weights, on at least one occasion Abbas supplied an eight-ball, weighing roughly 3.5g, and on another pushed his customer to purchase a full gram in order to qualify for a discount.
Prosecution also claimed Abbas was owed around $4450 from customers and intermittently bragged about the money he had made.
Justice Thomas Bradley KC urged Abbas to take control of his habit, and to “take advantage of the help” from social support services.
Abbas was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, to sit atop a four-and-a-half year sentence ordered earlier this year for property offending.
He will be eligible for parole on June 30, 2025.
NO CONVICTION RECORDED
Raymond John Henry Law
A campdraft king busted with drug-related items at a rodeo event fronted court this year.
The 35-year-old, who was originally from the Mackay area, had a long history with equestrian sports since a young age, his lawyer said.
Defence lawyer Christopher Watters said the drug items Law was busted with was simply “someone else's”.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve de Lissa told the court that on December 31 of last year police searched Law’s vehicle while he attended the Warwick Showgrounds on New Year’s Eve.
Law pleaded guilty to possessing drug utensils and possessing items used in the commission of a crime on March 11, 2024.
Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said that the man’s early plea of guilty and employment history were all positives in his favour.
“The charges relate to ice misuse by the sound of it, and you say they were owned by someone else but that doesn’t matter because they were in your possession,” Ms Sturgess said.
Law was fined $400 and no convictions were recorded.
Stephen Douglas Cramb
A green-thumbed dad revealed to a court the surprising reason he shunned pain medicine and opted to grow his own cannabis when he appeared in court earlier this year.
Stephen Douglas Cramb said he grew cannabis as medical bud was “too expensive” and he didn’t like the side effects of pain medicine, he told Warwick Magistrates Court.
Defence lawyer Clare Hine told the magistrate that Cramb, 59, had a variety of health ailments, including a fall in 2016, which led him to seek treatment for the pain.
“He had been on pain medicine but he didn’t like the side effects … and in 2020 he was prescribed medicinal cannabis but it was quite expensive,” Ms Hine said.
“It became too expensive for him.”
The Dalveen father of two was nabbed on October 26, 2023, in possession of cannabis, scales, a grinder, as well as lamps and chemicals used to grow the plant. In total, the quantity of the drug was “13 immature cannabis plants” kept in a shipping container, with 741.3g of dried cannabis in a container located by police.
Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told the man that she could understand the man’s motivation for the offending, but reminded him the many reasons why he shouldn’t have offended.
“It’s unlawful and there’s no possibility of monitoring by medical professionals,” Ms Sturgess said.
Cramb was slapped with a $1200 fine. No convictions were recorded.
DALBY
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Jack Andrew Dukes
A major Downs meth dealer was jailed earlier this year after his operation was uncovered by police.
Jack Andrew Dukes fronted Toowoomba Supreme Court on April 8, pleading guilty to trafficking and possessing methamphetamine.
The court heard in April 2023, the 29-year-old was intercepted at Dalby with 332g of meth hidden in the car he was driving, which had a street value of $90,000.
Police also found 459g of a pure version of the substance.
Dukes sold the meth to a base of regular clients and buyers who had their own customer base.
Dukes was sentenced to a nine year jail term, and the 352 days he spent in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.
He will be eligible to apply for parole on April 22, 2025.
Aaron Scott Walsh
A truckie nabbed with more than $20,000 meth was also jailed earlier this year after police uncovered the haul during a routine stop.
Walsh pleaded guilty in Toowoomba Supreme Court April to one count of supplying drugs and one count of possessing meth at Dalby in 2022.
The court heard Walsh was charged with the drug offences after police intercepted a car that stopped suddenly outside a Dalby home that was known to police.
Walsh and the driver were detained, and officers found a backpack with 39.2g of meth inside, along with 52.2g of a related substance.
Justice Burns said Walsh and the community would be better served if a “longer than usual” period of parole supervision was imposed.
Walsh was sentenced to a three year and six month jail term, and he will be eligible to apply for parole after serving six months.
Dylan Peter Mackinlay
A man busted on probation for drug offending avoided the big house in July after he pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying methylamphetamine.
Mackinlay – who was on a 18 month probation order for threatening police with a machete during a siege – was stung after relapsing on meth during his probation.
The court was told Mackinlay was using the drug alongside another person, who he was also supplying too.
Mackinlay had supplied “half a point” (.05 grams) of the drug to the same person across two days in April 2023.
Judge Horneman-Wren criticised Mackinlay for his decision to supply dangerous drugs to another person and said “someone supplied meth to you for the first time at one point and your life spiralled and now you’ve done the same with someone else.”
He was sentenced in Dalby District Court to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
ROMA
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Timothy Micheal Schafer
A Roma chef said the cost of living caused him to grow dozens of cannabis plants when he faced court in June.
Schafer appeared in the Roma Magistrates Court on June 25, after he was busted growing cannabis in his back shed.
Defence lawyer Trevor May said with four dependent children to care for and a mortgage to pay, growing cannabis was Schafer’s means to cope with “rising cost of living expenses”.
Mr May said Schafer is a full-time chef in Roma, and said he used cannabis to manage ADHD and anxiety.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of producing dangerous drugs, and one charge of possessing anything used in the production of dangerous drugs.
Schafer was sentenced to a 12-month probation period, with convictions recorded.
NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Caleb Rickie Bannerman
A Yuleba man busted with 200g of cannabis stashed in a cereal box during a raid of his partner’s home, faced a Maranoa court in May.
Bannerman plead guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to one charge of possession as well as an unrelated charge on May 15.
“While conducting a search of the kitchen area, police located a Coco Pops box in the kitchen pantry,” police prosecutor Ellysha Geddes said.
“Inside that box was a large clip-seal bag filled with dried plant matter with a weight of approximately 220g.”
Bannerman told the court the drugs belonged to him. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by his partner.
Magistrate Michael Wood fined Bannerman a total of $800 for the possession of dangerous drugs charges, and no conviction was recorded for either.
TOOWOOMBA
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Thong Van Ha and Duy The Do
Two people have been sentenced for their role in a major drug operation worth more than $20m, which police found tucked away in a quiet Queensland town near Toowoomba.
Vietnamese citizens Thong Van Ha, 43, and Duy The Do, 39, were sentenced after pleading guilty in Toowoomba District Court on multiple charges including the production of dangerous drugs following the discovery of an illegal cannabis farm at Wattle Ridge last year.
Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court in excess of 340kg of cannabis plants were confiscated from a Wattle Ridge premises and a further 2.5kg of packaged cannabis was found inside a nearby home.
“The offending took place over three months and involved the production of a commercial quantity of cannabis,” Ms Friedewald said.
“When police executed a search warrant, 4049 cannabis plants were found.”
Both men were said to be working for a principal offender on the property.
The pair were charged and pleaded guilty to one count of producing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g, one count of possessing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g, one count possessing things used in connection with producing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g and one count possessing things for use in connection with producing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g.
They were given a suspended sentence of three years’ imprisonment with 301 days declared time served.
Both men were subject to immigration detention upon their release.
Emma Frances Milton
Between April 18, 2019, and March 25, 2020, at Toowoomba and elsewhere in Queensland, Milton and another co-offender carried out an unlawful business trafficking drugs.
Toowoomba Supreme Court was told that between April 2019 and March 2020 Milton carried out an unlawful business trafficking drugs alongside a co-offender, and that she possessed methamphetamine at Kings Creek in April 2020.
Justice Martin Burns ultimately sentenced Milton to five years jail, suspended for five years.
Caige Grant
A 28-year-old Toowoomba drug offender has been jailed after possessing a large amount of meth, shortly after he was released from jail.
Toowoomba Supreme Court was told a large quantity of meth was found which Grant sold to fuel his addiction.
During the raid officers found 7.5g of pure meth, more than 9g of a meth related substance, cannabis, drug related items, and a gel blaster gun.
The court heard during Grant’s arrest a struggle ensued and police twice deployed their tasers.
Grant pleaded guilty to possessing drugs, possessing drug related items and utensils, obstructing police, receiving tainted property, and possessing a restricted item/gel blaster in April.
Grant was sentenced to a two-year jail term, with 307 days deemed time served.
Joshua Ellsum and Vicki Gai Ellsum
An Oakey mother and son duo were jailed after being busted selling cannabis across the region.
Mr Ellsum, 38, and Ms Ellsum, 66, fronted Toowoomba District Court for sentencing on May 17.
Mr Ellsum pleaded guilty to trafficking and supplying cannabis, and his mother pleaded guilty to trafficking cannabis.
The court was told the pair profitably sold and trafficked cannabis hundreds of times throughout a six-month period in 2022 to more than 40 customers.
Judge Horneman-Wren SC said after police raided their respective homes, they continued to run their business and spoke of handing the reigns over to an acquaintance called “Buster”.
He noted during the business, Mr Ellsum coached and re-employed other people to sell illegal drugs which was particularly egregious.
Mr Ellsum was sentenced to a three year jail term, and will be eligible for release on parole on November 17, 2024.
Ms Ellsum was sentenced to a two and a half year jail term, which will be suspended after she serves three months behind bars.
Once released, she will be subjected to a three year suspended sentence.
Doulina White
A Toowoomba cafe baron pleaded guilty to 11 charges of supplying a dangerous drug after police uncovered her party drug operation.
White acted as a ‘middle man’ when she supplied about 300 MDMA capsules to friends over four months between May and August 2023, police told the Toowoomba District Court.
Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said the crime came to light when police seized and searched White’s phone following the execution of a search warrant at her property in August 2023.
“The defendant supplied MDMA on 10 occasions and an unknown dangerous drug on one occasion to three different people,” she said.
Barrister Scott Lynch, instructed by Bouchier Khan Lawyers, said White committed the crime during “a great deal” of stress.
“She had two children, she had a business that was failing, and she’s working arduously essentially by herself to keep that business afloat,” he said.
“It is in this context that she became a user of the drug and then used as a conduit for transactions.
“She’s now abstinent (from drugs, and) continues to work.”
Judge Dennis Lynch KC told White she would “not be going to jail today,” sentencing her to an 18 month jail term, suspended for two years. Convictions were recorded.
NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Bec Shelley
A Darling Downs drug offender has been sentenced with supplying methamphetamine and cannabis.
Part-time cleaner, Rebecca Ann Shelley, fronted Toowoomba District Court on August 28, and pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying dangerous drugs.
The court was told the 42-year-old mother of four offered to share a small amount of meth with a friend, and on another occasion attempted to exchange the drug for a lift.
Given the small amount of drugs involved, and no prior convictions of supplying drugs, Judge Horneman-Wren fined Shelley $1000.
A conviction was not recorded.
GATTON
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Robyn Josephine Drennert
A 49-year-old Gatton woman caught supplying methylamphetamine to another person was given a light sentence last year.
DPP officer Grace O’Donnell said Drennert’s offending came to light when police downloaded the phone of her customer in April 2019.
Drennert had dealt in street level quantities of 0.05g to 0.5g, she said. Drennert pleaded guilty to six counts of supplying a dangerous drug to one customer between February 8 and March 5, 2019.
Judge Nathan Jarro noted some of the offences were offers to supply the drug.
Judge Jarro sentenced Drennert to nine months in jail but ordered she be released on parole immediately.
STANTHORPE
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Geoffrey Martin Carlson
A Granite Belt dad busted growing cannabis copped a hefty fine after being nabbed.
Geoffrey Martin Carlson pleaded guilty to one count each of producing dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils and possessing anything for use in the commission of a crime.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Bartholomeusz told the court officers conducted a search of Carlson’s property on August 22, where he was found to be producing a cannabis plant inside his laundry.
During the search police also located grow tent pots, an electric transformer and other utensils that were being used as part of the production, as well as cannabis seeds inside Carlson’s bedroom.
Magistrate Janice Crawford took into consideration Carlson’s personal circumstances, and he was fined $750. A conviction was recorded.
Ricky George Juxon
Father-of-three Ricky George Juxon pleaded guilty to one count of producing dangerous drugs after a search warrant located 11 cannabis plants at the back of his property in Dalcouth.
Senior Constable Bartholomeusz told the court when police searched the Dalcouth property, they uncovered the 11 cannabis plants growing in garden pots in bushland at the back of the property, with some reportedly reaching up to 30cm in height.
The court was told how the 41-year-old had overcome an addiction to meth and was using cannabis to help him stay off it, having only recently started growing the plants for his personal use.
Mr Crook told the court Juxon, a father-of-three, was a primary carer who was looking to establish his own landscaping business in the future.
Ms Crawford acknowledged Juxon’s personal circumstances, and he was fined $750. A conviction was recorded.
Aspiring truckie living in tent after child abuse stash found
A horrific video of a young girl being tortured was one of the files found on a man’s computer following a police raid on his home.
280 texts in 48 hours: Tinder boyfriend’s shocking abuse of mum
A Queensland woman went from being a queen to being sent 280 abusive text messages from her Tinder boyfriend in two days. But the red flags were appearing years before. SEE THE VIDEO