Former Townsville soldier Ian Chaplin sentenced for drug offences
A disgraced former Townsville soldier who was dismissed from the Australian Defence Force for cocaine use has been sentenced for drug offences.
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A DISGRACED Townsville soldier who was dismissed from the Australian Defence Force for cocaine use has been sentenced for drug offences.
The Townsville District Court heard former sapper Ian Chaplin was in the combat engineer regiment at Lavarack Barracks at the time of his offending in 2019.
Crown prosecutor Siobhan Harrison told the court police seized a parcel addressed to Chaplin on April 28, 2019 from the Townsville mail facility. The parcel contained two clip seal bags of cocaine weighing .725g and .752g respectively.
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On May 24, 2019 police executed a warrant at Chaplin’s residence and seized a razor blade and a mirror all with white residue, and a mobile phone.
Text messages were found on the mobile phone from May 13, 2019 indicating Chaplin was waiting on a parcel containing 2g of cocaine but believed it had been lost in the mail.
A further analysis of the mobile phone uncovered an offer to supply the steroid Nandrolone.
Police charged Chaplin on May 27, 2019.
Chaplin pleaded guilty to one count of supplying a dangerous drug, one count of attempted possession of a dangerous drug and two counts of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime. Defence barrister Dane Marley told the court Chaplin was dismissed from his position in the Australian Army in 2019 after returning a positive drug test for cocaine.
Mr Marley said the 22-year-old was a highly regarded member of the army and provided Judge Brad Farr with a reference from his former sergeant.
Judge Farr said that he did not take Chaplin’s behaviour lightly. “While it might be unsophisticated offending it is nevertheless a case with serious qualities about it,” he said.
When sentencing Judge Farr took into consideration the early plea of guilty, youth and lack of relevant criminal history. Chaplin was sentenced to six months’ jail wholly suspended with an operational period of 12 months.
Convictions were recorded.
Originally published as Former Townsville soldier Ian Chaplin sentenced for drug offences