Leppington man Shannon Dean sentenced for drug supply, driving with illicit drug in system

The man was pulled over by police in Camden, and officers found more than 10 grams of meth on him.

A man who told his mates he could get drugs for a bucks party has been sentenced after police pulled him over and found meth.

Shannon Dean, 35, appeared at Picton Local Court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to supplying a prohibited drug and driving with an illicit drug present in his system.

Court documents reveal that on October 31, police spotted the Leppington man in his car at Camden and decided to pull him over after number plate checks revealed his licence had been suspended.

Dean showed his digital license which showed it was suspended and when asked why he was shaking he said “it’s cause I was stopped and suspended”.

When an oral test returned a positive result for drugs, officers searched Dean and his car.

Shannon Dean appeared at Picton Local Court on March 30, and was sentenced for drug supply. Picture: Annie Lewis

In his shorts, they found a freezer-style plastic bag containing methamphetamine. Dean told the officers there were two eight balls, a street term for 3.5 grams, and it was for a bucks weekend.

When officers weighed the meth, it came to 10.9 grams.

In court on Wednesday, Dean’s lawyer said his client had been employed for 17 years as a concrete pump operator, but lost his job due to the strict bail conditions.

The lawyer told the court that the circumstances around which Dean came into possession of the drugs is “somewhat interesting”.

“Mr Dean was invited to a bucks party with friends and there was discussion among friends to obtain some illicit drugs,” he said.

Dean then told his mates he might be able to get some through people he knows at work.

Picton Courthouse. Picture: Google

The lawyer then told the court that shortly before Dean was pulled over, he was on a worksite and another operator, who he was not working for, needed assistance.

Dean’s help saved the operator about $10,000 in lost products.

While completing the task, the two started chatting and Dean mentioned the bachelor party and that they were looking for illicit drugs.

“The person said ‘hey, I think I can assist you, give me your address I’ll drop something off into your vehicle’,” the lawyer told the court.

“Some two days later my client got into the vehicle to find this quantity of drugs.”

The lawyer said it was not something he “went into the market to purchase” and that Dean had no criminal record.

In sentencing, Magistrate Mark Douglass said he would take into account Dean’s lack of record, the nature of the supply being for a bucks party and the early plea.

He convicted Dean and placed him on a 12-month community correction order, and disqualified him from driving for three months.