Bryce Tupling, 52, pleads guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court to string of drugs, weapons charges

A northern NSW disability worker paid upwards of $2500 per week has faced court on a string of drug and weapons charges after his arrest while on shift with a special needs client. Here’s the latest.

A northern NSW disability support worker paid more than $2500 a week has pleaded guilty to a string of drug and weapons charges after his arrest while on shift with a special needs client.

Bryce Tupling, 52, faced Tweed Heads Local Court on Friday over six drug offences and 10 weapons offences after police intercepted messages between Tupling and a co-accused on October 2022.

Tupling used “veiled” terminology for methamphetamines, police facts state – such as ‘G’ (gram) and ‘HB’ (half-ball or 1.75g).

A charge of manufacturing a small quantity of drugs – dimethyltryptamine (DMT) – was withdrawn and dismissed.

It was initially alleged police found manufacturing equipment in a “inactive clandestine lab”.

Tupling was also charged with breaching bail after injecting meth 30 minutes prior to police finding him in the cab of his Isuzu D-Max ute, “having a kiss” with a female friend.

On February 7 last year, NSW Police raided Tupling’s Enid St home at Tweed Heads as part of Strike Force Lenane under the Northern Rivers Region Enforcement Squad.

Tupling was with a “non-verbal high needs client that was sleeping no more than 10m away”, police state in court documents.

Bryce Tupling, 52, outside Tweed Heads Local Court. Picture: Sam Stolz

A search yielded one gram of meth, testosterone and a shopping bag with 298g cannabis.

Police also uncovered a pair of knuckledusters, nunchakus and a gel-blaster shotgun, rifle and two Glock and Beretta-modelled handguns were also found.

A couple of OxyContin tablets were found in the ute, along with ‘Chinese Jasmine Hydrosol’ – liquid hydro phosphorus acid used to manufacture drugs.

In relation to the bail breach on May 15, police found a used syringe, injecting water and a fresh bag with meth residue in the car. He was further charged with self-administering a prohibited drug and breaching bail.

Tupling entered guilty pleas to all charges.

Tupling was “storing the gel-blaster guns for his stepchildren” and the knuckledusters were for “walking the streets of Tweed Heads at night for protection”, the documents state.

He admitted to police he used meth and cannabis.

Tupling’s lawyer will prepare a sentencing assessment report and it is expected he will be sentenced in the same court on April 12.

He was instructed by Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy to uphold strict bail conditions including regular reporting to police and abstaining from drugs and alcohol.

“Outside court, Tupling said to his lawyer: “All this over some water pistols for Christ’s sake”.

It is not clear whether Tupling is still employed in his disability support job.