Joshua Priest: Port Macquarie father-to-be escapes conviction after three drugs found in system

A Mid North Coast man has learned his fate after three different drugs were found in his system, and more in his wallet, while behind the wheel. Find out why.

A Port Macquarie father-to-be, whose record features “a number of traffic offences”, has escaped conviction after three different drugs were found in his system – and more in his wallet – while he was behind the wheel.

Joshua Priest, 24, was charged with one count of driving with illicit drugs in system and one count of drug possession after police stopped his white Nissan Patrol on Hill St, Port Macquarie, earlier this year.

About 6.30pm on February 26, the car was stopped after police noticed its registration had expired.

As part of the vehicle stop, Priest was subjected to a roadside tests for alcohol and drugs, with the breath test returning a negative result and the drug test returning positive.

Subsequent testing confirmed cannabis, meth and MDA (Sally) were present in the young driver’s system.

After Priest’s arrest, a police search of his possessions located a small bag containing two MDMA (Molly) capsules, as well as a heat-sealed bag containing more of the white powdered substance.

Priest, who appeared in Port Macquarie Local Court unrepresented, begged for another chance saying he’s turned things around and no longer uses MDMA.

He told the magistrate he’s expecting his first-born soon, and will need his licence to continue earning an income to support his young family.

“I was going through a rough patch at the time,” Priest offered.

Priest appeared before a magistrate at Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday, August 24.

Magistrate Georgina Darcy took Priest’s remorse into account, as well as his completion of the Traffic Offenders program which noted “his frankness and candidness in sharing his experience with other (classmates was) beneficial to the cohort in their learning”.

Ms Darcy said that, while Priest has “a number of traffic offences” – as well as a charge for cultivating a prohibited plant earlier this year – this matter is the first of its kind on his record.

She also noted a significant gap in offending, with his last charge four years before that.

The magistrate gave Priest another chance to prove he can abide by the law, but warned the young local might not be so lucky next time.

“I’m going to give you this opportunity, but you’re unlikely to get this kind of leniency again,” Ms Darcy said.

Priest was not convicted for the offences but was entered into a 12-month conditional release order, which stipulates he must abstain from drugs, and ordered to pay a $200 fine.