Luke Drever, Kevin Reilly: meth duo learn fate

Two men who were involved in a Breaking Bad-style meth cooking operation have been sentenced in the Queanbeyan District Court. Find out what happened.

Two men who were involved in manufacturing commercial quantities of methamphetamine have learnt their fate in the Queanbeyan District Court.

Wollongong man Kevin Reilly, 41, and Adelaide man Luke Drever, 40, have remained in custody since they were arrested for being involved in the large scale manufacturing of methamphetamine in January 2020.

The men were arrested following the discovery of a clandestine meth lab in Harolds Cross near Queanbeyan.

Last year both men pleaded guilty to the charge.

Police seize equipment used to make methamphetamine at a clandestine lab in Harolds Cross NSW. Picture: NSW Police

Reilly faced additional weapons related charges and a charge over dealing in the proceeds of crime.

Meanwhile Drever had additional charges relating to the use of three false identification documents which he used to travel from Adelaide to NSW.

In sentencing, Queanbeyan District Court Judge Robyn Tupman described much of the additional charges as summary offences which would have little bearing on the far more serious drug manufacturing change and said those lesser charges should have been dealt within the local court system.

In relation to the weapons offences Ms Tupman said she had not been provided any evidence of Reilly’s offences besides his guilty plea.

Luke Drever has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in jail for his role as a meth cook. Picture: Facebook

Ms Tupman also said the offenders spent too long remanded in custody and lamented the fact the matters of both men had been heard 18 times in the Queanbeyan Local Court before being committed to the district court.

“The EAGP (early appropriate guilty plea) scheme is a misnomer,” she said.

In sentencing Ms Tupman said she did not accept Drever’s previous allegations that he only became involved in cooking meth after he was threatened by former prison buddies.

She said neither Reilly nor Drever were at the top of the criminal organisation they were working for but stated Drever’s crimes were more serious than that of Reilly because of his specialised chemistry knowledge.

She sentenced Drever to nine years and nine months jail with a non-parole period of six years.

Meanwhile Reilly was sentenced to six years and nine months with a non parole period of four years and was additionally ordered to forfeit $3340 to the state for his charge of dealing in the proceeds of crime.

The sentences of both men were backdated to January 11, 2020 to account for time spent in remand.

In a previous court appearance the judge likened the crime to the hit TV show Breaking Bad.