Promising boxer turned drug dealer, Max Eden Toller Mares, 21, sentenced in Cairns court

A promising young weightlifter once selected to represent Australia has been handed a harsh reality check as he was sentenced for “bottom of the food chain” drug dealing.

Max Eden Toller Mares, 21, pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying a dangerous drug in Cairns Supreme Court on Wednesday.

A promising young weightlifter once selected to represent Australia has been sentenced for “bottom of the food chain” drug dealing.

Max Eden Toller Mares, 21, pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying a dangerous drug in Cairns Supreme Court earlier this week.

Crown prosecutor Kieran Macdonald told the court Toller Mares had supplied cocaine and MDMA capsules to acquaintances in 2022 and 2023 when he was 18 and 19 years old.

Mr Macdonald described the defendant as at “the bottom of the food chain”.

Toller Mares’ offending was uncovered when his family home was raided and his iPhone was seized uncovering drug dealing communications.

Mr Macdonald read texts to the court from buyers looking to obtain cocaine and MDMA.

“I will pay well for the good sh-t,” one text read.

“Yeah it’s not cut, I have you straight, 400 aye for pure same as last time,” Toller Mares replied.

Other texts contained requests for “four caps bro” and “M and beans” — references to MDMA capsules.

It was estimated that Toller Mares would have likely had a turnover of $2000 with a likely meagre profit of $500.

Mr Macdonald said the defendant was still young and had exposed himself to potential imprisonment.

Defence counsel Bebe Mellick told the court his client’s offending was at the lower end of the spectrum and was caught as “part of a wider net” targeting drug dealing in Cairns.

Justice James Henry agreed and said Toller Mares was “obviously identified as someone who was playing the game” as part of a wider investigation.

Mr Mellick said Toller Mares had attended high school at Redlynch High School finishing year 12 before going on begin to a cabinet maker apprenticeship.

He told the court despite his mother’s embarrassment at having her home attended by police Toller Mares had the support of his family and employers and he was keeping himself clean with the help of boxing.

Justice Henry noted that it seemed Toller Mares already had some rehabilitation efforts rolling, his thinking was to “hit him in the hip pocket”, sentencing him with a $3000 fine and an 18 month probation order.

“There are those in their teens and early 20s that kid themselves, that we ... have it all wrong in our legislation and cocaine and MDMA are just party drugs and they don’t do any harm,” Justice Henry said

“Tell that to the parents of children who have died after taking contaminated drugs.”

Originally published as Promising boxer turned drug dealer, Max Eden Toller Mares, 21, sentenced in Cairns court