Jesse Robson: Young army veteran allegedly had $9m drugs in car

A court heard an Afghanistan veteran who has been charged with large commercial drug supply will be bailed to live with his grandmother after she came up with $100k from her super.

UPDATE

A young army veteran who served in Afghanistan has been granted bail after allegedly being found with $9.2m worth of drugs in the back seat of the car.

Jesse Robson, 23, was arrested on the side of the road in Milperra in July after police found 17kg of cocaine and 8kg of methamphetamine in the back seat.

Robson, from the Central Coast, was medically discharged from the army in April this year, the Supreme Court heard on Wednesday.

He had joined the Army in 2016 and served seven months overseas in 2019, including in Afghanistan.

The court heard he suffered medical and psychological debilitations which “progressively compromised his capacity to continue service both in Afghanistan and more generally”.

On returning home he was diagnosed with adjustment disorder and musculoskeletal issues in shoulder, spine, hips and legs.

The box discovered on the back seat of the car. Picture: NSW Police

Driving in the car with him on July 9 was passenger Adam Sakr, a court previously heard.

The men drove along River Rd at Milperra and were followed in convoy by a white Mercedes which police allege was manoeuvring in a way to stop highway patrol from pulling them over.

Sakr allegedly sprinted across six lanes of the M5 during the arrest to avoid police.

The Supreme Court heard on Wednesday the driver of the Mercedes had now been identified but not yet been charged.

Robson’s lawyer Matthew Breeze told the court the prosecution would have trouble proving he knew there were drugs in the back seat of the car he was driving since there was no evidence he had physically touched the box.

Others had carried the box of drugs to and from the Kogarah apartment block where the men met and there is no evidence Robson was present when the box was placed in the car.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton granted him bail to live with his aunty in Budgewoi on the Central Coast, while his grandma put up $100,000 in surety from her superannuation.

Justice Fullerton also said Robson had a pressing need for ongoing medical and psychiatric consultation, which was not being addressed in Covid-ravaged Parklea prison. 

Robson is charged with two counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

Sakr is charged with two counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of a drug, one count of supplying a large quantity of a drug, knowingly dealing with $4720 and escaping police custody, as well as four counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs on June 1 in the town of Hay, relating to 30kg of methylamphetamine, 11kg of MDMA, 4kg of cocaine and 2kg of heroin.

He will return to Burwood Local Court on October 20.

EARLIER

BY JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS ON JULY 18, 2021

A former member of the Australian Army, caught with $9.2 million worth of drugs in the car, has claimed there is no way to prove he knew the cardboard box in the back seat was full of drugs.

Jesse Robson, 23, who appeared at Bankstown Local Court on Thursday, was driving a Toyota Camry on July 9, when he was pulled over by police and arrested with 17kg of cocaine and 8kg of methamphetamine in the back.

The court heard Mr Robson, of Springfield on the Central Coast, joined the Army in 2016 and was medically discharged in April 2021, serving seven months overseas in 2019.

He receives an Army pension, the court heard.

As he and his passenger Adam Sakr, 24, drove along River Rd at Milperra, they were followed in convoy by a white Mercedes, which police allege was “conducting evasive manoeuvres” to hinder Highway Patrol from pulling them over.

But when police did eventually pull them over, Mr Sakr allegedly told police he owned a waterproofing company and said the box contained waterproofing supplies.

Mr Robson also said the men were headed to a waterproofing job in Minto, but police allege he could not say what job he was going to or where he had worked in the past.

Mr Sakr sprinted from the car, crossing six lanes of traffic, to avoid arrest but Robson stayed put, the court heard.

Police were surveilling the men the day before, on July 8, when they drove in the silver Camry from Terrigal to an address in Kogarah.

They parked in the underground carpark of the Kogarah apartment block.

Mr Robson did not go inside the apartments, police allege, but waited outside.

Police believe the car remained in the carpark overnight.

The next day, Mr Robson allegedly met an unknown man in a white Mercedes outside the same apartment block and jumped in the car.

About an hour later, Mr Sakr put a large brown box in the back seat of the Camry, and drove to meet up with Mr Robson and the man in the white Mercedes, police allege.

Mr Sakr allegedly jumped out of the driver’s seat and into the passenger seat of the Toyota Camry, and Mr Robson hopped in the front driver’s seat.

They were driving south on the M5 when they were stopped by police.

Mr Robson’s lawyer Matthew Breeze told the court there was no way to prove Mr Robson knew what was inside the box in the backseat.

Drugs found in car. Picture: NSW Police

Mr Breeze claimed Mr Robson didn’t enter the Kogarah apartment building with Mr Sakr; wasn’t with Mr Sakr when he put the box in the backseat; and he didn’t touch the box, so wouldn’t have known how heavy it was.

“His knowledge as to the contents of the box cannot be inferred in any way,” he said, and argued the crown case was “weak”.

Mr Breeze said he was a man of good character, who had served his country, which he had come away from with lower back pain, stress syndrome, adjustment disorder, tinnitus, depression, anxiety and alcohol misuse.

One of two men arrested on July 9. Picture: NSW Police

But Magistrate Greg Walsh made different inferences from the police facts.

“It’s inconceivable the men (Mr Sakr and Mr Robson) did not know each other,” Magistrate Walsh said.

He said they must have had a conversation in the time it takes to travel from Terrigal to Kogarah.

In terms of the meeting between the unknown man in the white Mercedes, Mr Robson and Mr Sakr, Magistrate Walsh said: “one might infer a prearranged concert for them to meet in the circumstances”.

“One might posit why they would meet,” he said.

Magistrate Walsh denied Mr Robson bail.

mr Robson has been charged with two counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

Mr Sakr has been charged with six counts of supplying a prohibited drug, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, and escaping police custody.

Both men will return to court on September 2.