Illawarra man spared jail after he was caught with MDMA caps by Raptor police
A 21-year-old Illawarra man has been spared a full-time jail sentence after he was caught with 50 MDMA capsules by Strike Force Raptor police.
Illawarra Star
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A young Illawarra man who was caught selling MDMA by Strike Force Raptor officers has escaped a full-time jail sentence.
Joshua Kemper, 21, faced Wollongong Local Court for sentencing on Tuesday, after he was caught with 50 MDMA capsules in the Wollongong CBD just before midnight on May 9.
Court documents revealed police searched Kemper, after he was spotted in Richardson Lane with a group of three males, about 11.25pm.
Police made the decision to search Kemper after each of the men gave different accounts of where they were going and what they were up to.
During the search, police found four resealable bags each containing 10 capsules of brown granules in Kemper’s back pocket and another 10 capsules in another resealable bag in his front pocket.
Police also found $450 in Kemper’s wallet, before the 21-year-old admitted to police that the capsules were “MDMA caps”.
During an interview at Wollongong Police Station, Kemper told the arresting officers he planned to take “four or five” of the caps himself, and planned on selling the rest for $10 or $20 each.
Due to Kemper’s admissions, he was charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
During his court appearance on Tuesday, defence lawyer Graeme Morrison said while it was a serious matter, Kemper had taken steps to turn his life around.
“He no longer uses illicit drugs and he has gone back to TAFE to study his love, which is spray painting,” he said.
Police prosecutor Sergeant David Weaver said in light of the recent music festival deaths, strong action needed to be taken against Kemper to deter the public from selling and using MDMA.
“The drug has been linked to the deaths of several young people … in the current climate the court should take note of the community’s concerns,” he said.
“They are fed up with young people taking and being supplied with this drug.”
Magistrate Susan McGowan said while she agreed with Sergeant Weaver, Kemper had taken responsibility for his actions and had feelings of remorse.
Magistrate McGowan sentenced him to one year imprisonment to be served by way of an intensive corrections order which includes 200 hours of community service.