Ronald Bushby: Daceyville man charged with drug supply, deal with proceeds of crime

An eastern suburbs father has been delivered a “wake up call” after relationship problems saw him fall in with the wrong crowd and begin dealing drugs, a court has heard.

Bushby leaving Waverley Local Court.

A targeted police operation aimed at drug activity in a Bondi street has unmasked a dial-a-dealer father-of-five, busted with bags of cocaine and wads of cash.

Ronald Noel Bushby, 45, of Daceyville, appeared with his solicitor Zaki Hajjar on charges of drug supply and dealing with property proceeds of crime at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday. He has pleaded guilty to both offences.

The father-of-five was discovered at Denham St, Bondi, where police state a large amount of drug activity takes place in and around licensed premises.

According to police facts tendered to the court about 11.30pm on January 21 plain clothes police officers were in an unmarked car, targeting drug-related offences.

Officers watched on as a man walked from The Royal Hotel down Denham St into Andrews Ave, entered Bushby’s car and left 10 seconds later, sparking suspicions a drug deal had taken place.

Bushby leaving Waverley Local Court.

Two officers approached the man on the street, who told them had bought a small bag of cocaine for $250.

Police stopped Bushby’s car and questioned him before arresting him for drug supply. Police facts state he initially denied he had drugs.

Police searched the car and found a wallet containing $1220 in cash, two mobile phones and a plastic bag which contained a number of small bags of cocaine, which later were weighed at 13.61g.

Bushby later provided financial statements to police showing his ownership of $500 of the cash.

A mid-range drink driving charge, resulting from a separate incident at Chipping Norton on March 11 last year, was dismissed without conviction.

Mr Hajjar told the court the arrest on the drug supply charges had been a “wake up call” as his client had never appeared before a court prior to the charges.

He said the Daceyville dad was reeling from a recent divorce and had been “hanging out in the pub” associating with people he would normally not.

“He [found] himself doing things he’s never done before,” Mr Hajjar submitted, adding the father-of-five had been struggling with drug and alcohol issues at the time.

Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge said the culmination of challenges for the eastern suburbs man did not excuse his choice to participate in the drug trade.

“My life’s in the toilet, my marriage has fallen apart. What am I going to do? I’m going to become a drug dealer?” Magistrate Milledge said.

She agreed to Mr Hajjar’s request for a further assessment report be prepared in preparation for sentencing.

The magistrate warned Bushby to prepare for harsh punishment when the matter returned for sentence on September 20.

“You brace yourself for what’s going to happen at sentencing, because I don’t know,” Magistrate Milledge said.