Matthew Smith: Carpet laying business owner jailed over drug, driving charges

Matthew David Smith who claims to run a carpet laying business, according to his social media profile, has been sentenced over a string of driving and drug-related offences.

Matthew Smith has been sentenced to jail over breaching court orders over a string of fresh driving and drug related offences. Picture: Facebook

The self proclaimed owner of a carpet laying business which boasts a portfolio of upper north shore clients has been jailed, with his messy drug addiction and shocking driving habits exposed.

Matthew David Smith, 28, of North Turramurra was sentenced at Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday after he breached community corrections orders over fresh offences committed in April and May.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of possess prohibited drug, four counts of licence expired two years or more before and two counts of drive vehicle, illicit drug present in blood.

Matthew Smith was led to Hornsby Police Station in handcuffs following sentencing. Picture: Madelaine Wong

He had previously received an 18 month community corrections order for five counts of possess prohibited drug, two counts of goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, possess unauthorised pistol and possess ammunition without holding licence.

Police facts tendered in court reveal on May 23 Smith was driving a Subaru Forester station wagon in St Ives when he was stopped for random testing.

Police discovered he was driving with an expired licence and tested positive for drugs.

He handed two clear resealable bags to police and when asked what it was Smith stated, “pot” and “ice”, police facts reveal.

On May 3 Smith was also driving in Cowan and was stopped by police where he was tested for drugs and admitted, “I did a few lines of speed last night”, police facts show.

Matthew Smith was sentenced at Hornsby Court House on Peats Ferry Road in Hornsby on Wednesday. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

He was caught carrying out other serious offences in 2018 and 2019 involving fraudulent drug prescriptions.

On December 12 in 2018, officers were patrolling known drug activity hot spots in Surry Hills where they came across Smith and his mate in a vehicle and began to question them.

Police searched the car and found an A4 book with a list of chemist addresses with majority crossed out and prescription drugs, police facts state.

Further, there were six black prescriptions from Prince of Wales Hospital and police checks found Smith had gone to a number of chemists on the day “uttering fraudulent prescriptions at eleven separate chemists”, police facts state.

Smith was arrested and his phone was seized which contained footage of Smith holding two firearms with ammunition, which led to a search warrant at a home in Botany.

When police attended the home they located a Smith and Wesson Revolver and an Erfurt pistol, along with 50 rounds of ammunition and “a number of prohibited drugs”.

Smith made admissions to having knowledge of the firearms but told police he was not the owner of the firearms or the ammunition, police facts reveal.

Generic picture of handcuffs, arrest.

On December 13, 2019 police searched a vehicle occupied by Smith and a co-accused where they found a prescription pad, drugs which Smith said were “ice”, “cocaine”, “acid”, and two commonwealth bank cheque books in the name of others, police facts reveal.

It’s stated in court documents that “Police will allege the prescription pad was obtained unlawfully and was filled out by the co-accused fraudulently for the purpose of procuring prescribed restricted substances for them both.”

During court proceedings on Wednesday Smith’s lawyer Mark Warren said his client had been making progress.

“He tells me he hasn’t been using drugs since May. He’s been working and runs a carpet laying business,” Mr Warren said.

“Drugs and his mental health were combined to contribute to the offending. He has told me he went to Odyssey House for two months for residential rehab and has taken part in merit, but there was voluntary withdrawal.”

But Magistrate Louise McManus said Smith “didn’t get it”.

“I only have his word for the drug issues. You completely ignore you don’t have a licence and you think it’s your right to drive because you have work to do,” magistrate McManus said.

“You kept offending and in my view you’ve had chances in the past with community corrections orders.”

He received an aggregate sentence of seven months in prison and will be eligible for release on March 1.