Ballina man Rodney Jason Denyer faces Lismore court for selling meth, possessing weapons

A Ballina man busted selling meth to pimps and sex workers tried to explain away a stash of weapons by claiming he was a “concerned citizen” trying to clean up the streets.

Ballina man Rodney Jason Denyer outside the court.

A self-proclaimed Ballina vigilante nabbed selling meth to pimps and sex workers tried to justify a cache of weapons by claiming he was trying to clean up the streets.

Rodney Jason Denyer, 51, was convicted and sentenced at Lismore Local Court on Wednesday for drug dealing, firearms and weapon offences and possessing stolen goods.

He was charged after police raided a property at Bolding St in Ballina on December 2, 2021 after monitoring Denyer’s drug dealing.

He was living in his mother’s garage at the time, where police seized cannabis, meth, glass pipes, drug scales, prescription opioids, like oxycodone, and $1650 in cash.

A taser, a throwing knife, a black gel blaster pistol, four mobile phone and eight watches that were stolen were also seized.

Officers also discovered a notebook containing various names and amounts of money which appeared to be a ‘tick book’ of people who owed him money for drugs.

There was a CCTV system with cameras and a large television screen was monitoring the entrance to the garage.

Denyer told police he was not a meth user or dealer, but examination of a seized mobile phone revealed otherwise.

Denyer was busted with a taser, among other illegal items.

It showed between March 13, 2021 and November 22, 2021, Denyer supplied 18.8 grams of meth – with some of his customers being pimps and sex workers – worth about $10,200.

Defence solicitor James Fuggle said Denyer was a man with a troubled past with a history of drug use who had put his life back on track.

Since Denyer’s release from custody he has maintained “gainful and responsible” employment, the court head.

“He is on a journey of rehabilitation, albeit a rocky one,” Mr Fuggle said.

Denyer’s mother’s house was flooded and they “lost everything”.

Mr Fuggle said the drug supply was to “cover costs” but there was no evidence of “untoward” or great “material wealth gain” through that activity.

However, Magistrate Michael Dakin said Denyer showed no contrition or remorse for his offending.

He said Denyer “made excuses”, and tried to minimise his offending by claiming he was trying to reduce criminal activity in Ballina by keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals.

The court heard that Denyer claimed he had taken the weapons from drug users who would come to his mother’s garage.

Mr Dakin rejected the proposal that Denyer was a “concerned citizen looking out for the community” in his guilty plea.

“Supplying meth, really?” Mr Dakin said in disbelief.

Mr Dakin said the possession of a firearm was a “stock in trade” for a drug dealer – regardless of it being a replica.

He said “it's not a quantum leap” to assume the weapon was intended to send a message of “pay your drug dealer or else”.

The “altruistic” reason Denyer claimed to have taken it from a criminal element highlighted the reason why it would be used by a bad guy in the first place, Mr Dakin said.

Denyer pleaded guilty to charges of possess prohibited drug, supplying prohibited drug, eight counts of possessing a prescribed restricted substance, possessing stolen goods, dealing with the proceeds of crime, possessing an unauthorised firearm, not keeping a firearm safely, possessing a prohibited weapon, failing to ensure the safekeeping of a prohibited weapon.

He was sentenced to an intensive correction order for 10 months and a community corrections order for two years. He was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.