Flinn and Joel Westman sentenced over South Coast party drug syndicate
A pair of red-headed twins have been jailed after being found guilty of being the brains behind a major party drug network in the Illawarra.
Illawarra Star
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Twin brothers will spend four years in prison after being found guilty of being the brains behind a major party drug network in the Illawarra.
Flinn and Joel Westman appeared at Wollongong District Court on Monday where they were sentenced for supplying a commercial quantity of drugs, supplying a large commercial quantity of drugs and aggravated assault with intent to take a motor vehicle.
The pair were reunited in court after they were arrested in sweeping drug raids in August 2019 and refused bail, being sent to different jails.
The brothers admitted to being part of a major drug racket operating from their suburban Coniston home.
While documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court reveal the pair were dealing large quantities of cocaine and MDMA, unknowingly selling to undercover police operatives after a major investigation was launched by Wollongong detectives, they deny they were the bosses of the group.
Following a hearing into the contested charge of directing a criminal group, Judge Andrew Haesler found the brothers guilty of the offence.
Earlier this year, the brothers each pleaded guilty to two counts of supply prohibited drug greater than or equal to the commercial quantity and aggravated assault with intent to take or drive a motor vehicle in company.
Between July and August 2019, police recorded the brothers selling ecstasy pills, a total of 308 grams of MDMA, as well as 557 grams of cocaine on six occasions.
Documents also revealed they took a man’s BMW, after he failed to pay back a debt.
Phone intercepts captured a conversation between Joel and an associate regarding another man’s outstanding debt.
Joel worked out the man owed the associate $10,000, prompting him to say he was going to “take all his s**t” and “bash the f**k out of him”.
Flinn and Joel drove to the man’s home that afternoon, where they called the associate to verify how much they were owed.
The call was intercepted by police, with one of the brothers recorded saying “tell me what he owes bra (sic) and I’m taking his car, or he’s getting f***ing stabbed”.
After Flinn threatened to “slice” the man, they took his white BMW, which was seized by police when they were arrested on August 16 2019.
However, Flinn told the court he only punched the man once and was trying to impress his mate over the phone when describing the events.
He also denied he and Joel took the car because he owed one of their street dealers money, rather saying they did it because the associate was out of the country.
The court heard the twins were introduced to the supply of drugs by a friend but once they found their own upline supplier, they chose to start a “wholesale business”.
Judge Haesler said the pair distributed the drugs for "greed" and were equal partners in the trade.
However the pair accepted responsibility for their actions and had good prospects of rehabilitation.
Joel was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of four years and eight months.
Flinn was sentenced to seven years and eight months for his offences with a non-parole period of four years and two months.
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