Harrison Swan, 32, ‘impeccable worker’ one year, ice addict getting shot over debt the next: Coffs court

A northern NSW prisoner with access to “a lounge room, knives and a flat screen TV” told a court he was “pistol whipped and shot” after he became addicted to ice and racked up debt. Read the exclusive.

A small kitchen in the high security men's unit at the Clarence Correctional Centre.

A former ice addict who says he was “pistol whipped and shot in the back” after falling into $15,000 of debt has been given a chance to rehabilitate after committing 45 offences in just shy of a month.

Judge Michael McHugh told the Coffs Harbour District Court on Thursday, the offending committed by Harrison Swan, 32, ranged from “low level” to “very serious” crime.

“There’s one where he gets up on a roof at a property,” Mr McHugh told the court.

“It was an Airbnb and he let the guests in (after he broke in).”

Snow pleaded guilty to an array of charges including aggravated entering of a dwelling while knowing people were inside, stealing cars, theft and disqualified driving, according to court documents.

Inside the one of the high security men's unit of the Clarence Correctional Centre.

Defence barrister John Carty asked Swan about his life in the lead up to the crimes committed in May and June 2022. The court was told of 45 offences and 29 victims in just one month.

Snow had been described as “an impeccable worker” with many trade certificates. But following a break up and losing his children, Snow fell into depression, which led to drug use and spiralling debt.

Under questioning from Mr Carty, Snow said he was sleeping in Park Beach when he was woken up by a blow to the head in 2021

“I was told I had to repay a debt,” Snow said.

“I was pistol whipped and shot in the back,” he said.

It was revealed to the court that Swan had been locked up on remand for more than six months and in a residential unit at Clarence Correctional Centre.

“It’s maximum security, but for the best behaved inmates,” he said.

Inside the Clarence Correctional Centre at Grafton.

“It has a lounge room, knives and a flat screen TV.”

While in jail Swan has received a monthly injection designed to prevent him relapsing into illicit drug use. If found to be using drugs, Swan told the court how he could be penalised.

“You’d be put in punishment pods,” he said.

Snow told a lawyer appearing for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that while in jail he had taken the blame for possessing drugs that were not his.

“If there’s a gang that’s willing to stab and kill people you’re likely to do that too,” Swan said.

Glimpses of security entry points at the Clarence Correctional Centre, Grafton. Picture: Tim Jarrett

The DPP prosecutor questioned Swan’s monthly injection to stay off ice considering he was not using in prison.

“Why put yourself through it?” she asked.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

Swan said he would do anything to keep off ice for his kids: “I saw even first hand in jail all the violence that comes with drug use and it makes me feel sick. It was putrid.”

Judge McHugh said Swan was “at a crossroads” in his life and “seemed to have some real insight into his cause for offending”.

“The road to rehabilitation is a straight one,” he said.

Swan was sentenced to an 18 month intensive correction order, instead of more time behind bars. The order involves alcohol and other drug counselling and monitoring for illicit substance use while in the community.

Had the ICO not been ordered, the casecwould have been dealt with by way of an aggregate sentence of three years jail with a non-parole period of one year, nine months and 19 days, according to court documents.

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