Joseph Cochrane: Wellington man’s role in criminal group revealed
Details about a man’s role as a “trusted member” of a major criminal group bringing in ice to regional NSW can now be revealed.
Dubbo News
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A Wellington man has confessed to being a “trusted member” of a major drug supply syndicate which saw massive amounts of ice brought to regional NSW from Sydney.
Joseph Thomas Cochrane, 33, pleaded guilty to criminal group participation and use of weapon contrary to prohibition order charges which were laid as part of an exhaustive police investigation known as Strike Force Pinnacle.
Between February 2019 and May 2020, police infiltrated the drug syndicate and used secret phone taps and undercover techniques to obtain evidence that have resulted in the arrest of more than 55 people.
According to a statement of agreed facts tendered in court, Cochrane’s role as a “trusted member” of the syndicate saw him use a scanner to listen in to the police radio system to monitor where police were on the road between Sydney and Wellington.
Information would be exchanged between Cochrane and the alleged kingpin of the syndicate, who was partly responsible for arranging the delivery of drugs from Sydney to Wellington.
Cochrane’s involvement in the syndicate became more obvious to police in June 2019 when he met a driver who was dropping off drugs in Wellington.
According to court documents, the alleged kingpin of the syndicate received a call from his supplier to let him know that the drug delivery driver had gone to “Shrek’s”.
Police were aware Cochrane’s nickname was Shrek and after the call was made, Cochrane took possession of an unknown quantity of drugs and then agreed to meet the alleged syndicate kingpin to give him the gear.
When police went to arrest Cochrane in September 2020, his home was searched and he told officers he had nothing to declare.
A slingshot and a container with small metal balls in it were found in a dressing table next to Cochrane’s bed.
In a locked garage at the back of Cochrane’s home police also found a homemade taser.
Dubbo Local Court magistrate Gary Wilson accepted Cochrane’s guilty pleas and requested a sentencing assessment report.
The case was adjourned to the District Court where it will next be dealt with in September.
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