Keith Anderson: QLD drug mule in Ourimbah freeway smash was paying off drug debt, court hears
A drug mule had one job to pay off a debt: drive from Rockhampton to Sydney, pick up a package and follow the white lines — not snort them — back to Queensland, a court has heard.
Central Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Keith Anderson was a good family man with virtually no criminal record when Covid struck and he found himself out of work.
The 38-year-old’s casual cocaine use “started to get the better of him” and before long Anderson found himself thousands of dollars in debt and facing a bleak Christmas where he couldn’t afford to buy presents for his family, a court has heard.
It was then Anderson was recruited as a “ubiquitous patsy” to pay off his cocaine debt by ferrying drugs from Sydney to Queensland.
Giving evidence at his sentencing hearing Anderson told Gosford District Court he agreed to drive from his home at Rockhampton to Sydney in his ute and pick up an unknown package, which he “harboured clear suspicions it was drugs”, before driving back across the border to an address north of Brisbane.
However Anderson was seen driving erratically and speeding on the M1 motorway at Ourimbah about 11.30am on December 5, 2020.
An agreed set of facts states police received several triple 0 calls in relation to his driving before he was captured on a dash camera overtaking a car using the median strip before colliding with the rear of a Chevrolet Camaro, which ricocheted into a B-double in the next lane.
Police estimate Anderson was travelling an average speed of no less than 160km/h in the 110kmh zone at the time.
His ute came to rest with no front wheels about 330m north of the initial impact with debris — including 42kg of cannabis, more than 100g of cocaine, 139.41g of `ice’, 309.6g of 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine, also known as MDA, and $39,000 in cash — strewn across all three lanes of the freeway.
Barefoot and dishevelled, Anderson underwent mandatory blood tests which found he had a cocktail of amphetamine, methylamphetamine, cocaine and Benzoylecgonine in his system to the point it would have impaired his driving ability.
Police also located seven firearms registered to Anderson in a grey box on the back of the ute along with ammunition.
His barrister Martin Longhurst told the court Anderson was essentially a “blind courier” who, despite an “inkling” the people he was involved with had “nefarious intentions”, did not know exactly what he was collecting.
Mr Longhurst said Anderson was a registered gun owner in Queensland and the firearms were stored in the ute according to his licence.
Giving evidence Anderson told the court he had the guns in his ute — along with a vacuum sealer machine, plastic bags and rubber bands, along with three mobile phones — because he had been helping a mate hunt feral pests on his property before driving to Sydney.
Anderson said he wasn’t expecting any financial reward from the trip other than to clear his drug debt of about $4000-$5000 and possibly score two or three free “balls” of cocaine containing about 3.5g each for his troubles.
“I was not getting paid anything,” he said.
“It was to pay an outstanding tick bill I had.”
However Judge Tanya Bright said she “did not accept” his ‘illogical” evidence that he was willing to drive that far and take such a huge risk to pay off such a small debt.
Judge Bright also questioned the “coincidence” of why he would have so many firearms with him at all, if not to protect his “valuable” cargo.
Anderson had previously pleaded guilty in the Local Court to driving recklessly, furiously and in a manner dangerous; speeding more than 45km/h over the limit; and driving under the influence of drugs.
He had also pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a commercial quantity of drugs, three counts of supplying an indictable quantity of drugs, knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime and not keeping a firearm safely.
The court heard Anderson had spent nearly 14 months in jail since his arrest.
Judge Bright adjourned the matter to February 9 to deliver her remarks on sentence.
New charges: Former life coach denies assaulting teen girls
A former “life coach” has denied sexually and indecently assaulting young teenage girls. It comes as two new victims have come forward prompting further charges, a court has heard.
Read more
Trial date set for truckie involved in fatal crash
A truck driver will face trial almost two years to the day after he was involved in a crash which killed a 17-year-old P-plater and seriously injured a woman, 46.
Read more