Repeat meth dealer jailed

A repeat offending Sunshine Coast drug dealer has been sentenced to 14 years jail - but may be out in just four.

A REPEAT offending Sunshine Coast drug dealer has been sentenced to 14 years jail - but may be out in just four.

Che Andrew Murray, 32, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court to 14 years jail for trafficking, producing, possessing and supplying drugs, numerous weapons offences and for possessing counterfeit money.

The court heard Murray was bailed twice for drug offences, and was twice caught at a later date with increasing amounts of drugs.

Murray was first arrested for trafficking methylamphetamines between January 2011 and May 2012. He spent 390 days in custody until he was released on bail.

But Murray was found with drugs in his house when police were called to reports of a gunshot. They found Murray had been shot and had 26.47g of pure methylamphetmines hidden throughout the home.

He was taken into custody for 104 days before being released on bail again.

In 2016 police found about 140g of pure methylamphetamines in Murray's car and more than a kilogram in his house. He has remained in jail since.

Justice David Boddice said Murray's continued offending while on bail made his offending even worse. He said Murray refused to change his ways despite being arrested and even shot.

"You showed appalling disregard for your bail obligations," he said.

"It makes your offending much, much more serious.

"You simply left custody and went back to the operation you were in before."

Justice Boddice said he accepted Murray was a long-term drug user but did not accept that this was a reason for his offending.

"There are many people who are addicted to drugs who despite this circumstance do not begin drug trafficking," he said.

Murray was sentenced to nine years jail for the drug trafficking and an additional five years jail for possessing large quantities of drugs while on bail. As he has already served more than 700 days in prison Murray will be eligible to apply for bail in February 2021.

ARM NEWSDESK

Originally published as Repeat meth dealer jailed