Year 12 student busted with 3kg of meth given probation, dodges conviction after guilty plea

An 18-year-old man who wants to be a doctor was given probation and dodged a conviction after he was busted by cops couriering a huge haul of methamphetine while still in his final year at school.

The man, who was a juvenile at the time of the offence, with solicitor Neesha Maidwell. Picture: David Clark

A Grade 12 student busted couriering about $270,000 of meth did not realise he was under police surveillance when he collected the drugs from a Mermaid Beach motel.

The 17-year-old aspiring doctor was pulled over in April last year at Surfers Paradise by officers who had tracked another man who first drove the drugs from New South Wales to Queensland.

The Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday heard when police intercepted the teenager after witnessing the handover at a Gold Coast motel, they discovered almost three kilograms of methylamphetamine inside a bag.

The teen, who cannot be identified because he was a juvenile at the time of the offending, pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs and was sentenced to a two month probation order with no conviction recorded.

Defence barrister Kim Bryson said the boy had an unremarkable childhood, was raised in a supportive environment and was now studying full time at university with a goal of becoming a doctor.

The man pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs after he was intercepted by police in April 2023. Picture: David Clark

“Your honour considering all the material before the court, on my submission the court could be confident (the defendant) will not be returning,” she said.

“He understands the seriousness of the offending and he understands the consequences and possible outcomes both as a juvenile and an adult.”

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said the offending was “extremely serious” and she hoped it would be a one-off mistake for the now 18-year-old.

“To have anything to do with methylamphetamine is serious, but to be participating even as a cog in the wheel, a courier, in making it possible for such a huge quantity of methylamphetamine to get to our streets and to affect the people who are affected by drug addiction is very serious,” she said.

Justice Bowskill stressed how serious the offending was, warning that people went to jail every day for possessing much smaller amounts than the defendant was caught with.

“I’m told that you would like to pursue a career in medicine… and I commend you for that,” she said.

“You will make an incredible contribution to our society if you do that.

“But I hope through this process, and not just because of the strong words I’m communicating to you, you walk away with a very clear understanding that having anything at all to do with illegal dangerous drugs is completely inconsistent with being positive contributor to our society - there is no way to be innocent or passive or unharmful.”