Geelong man Peter Urquhart caught setting up drug sale

A Geelong man with a long criminal history is facing prison after he was busted driving with drugs in his system.

Geelong man Peter Urquhart was caught setting up a drug sale in Corio.

A man with a history of drug trafficking offences was “abusive” with police after they busted him in the middle of setting up a drug sale.

While his co-accused hid in the bushes down the road, police came across Peter Urquhart, 50, who recently relocated from Geelong to Winchelsea, in possession of a liquid believed to be GHB.

Minutes before officers arrived on the scene in October 2020, Urquhart exchanged text messages with the co-accused man agreeing to meet him in Corio and to “get the usual bro”.

While at the police station, $800 in cash was found on Urquhart.

Prosecution said Urquhart was “belligerent and abusive” towards police when they attempted to interview him.

Urquhart pleaded guilty to these drug offences and to repeatedly driving while under the influence of an illicit substance at the Geelong Magistrates Court.

In April this year, Urquhart was driving in Waurn Ponds when he crashed into the back of a vehicle, forcing the car into another one.

He failed to provide his details and, when police arrived, Urquhart was seen fleeing the scene towards the nearby Bunnings.

Urquhart was also in court for driving under the influence of cannabis and methylamphetamine on four occasions.

During one of the incidents, police found an anti-speed measuring device on his dashboard, which prosecution submitted interrupted the frequency of tools used to determine a vehicle’s speed.

His lawyer, Stephanie Mawby, said Urquhart has been sentenced to fines, community corrections orders and imprisonment terms on a number of separate criminal offences, including drug trafficking, but he is ready to “address the addiction issue …(and is) asking for help”.

“He does not want to continue coming before the courts,” she said.

Prosecutor Siobhan Daly said Urquhart has been given “opportunity after opportunity” to address his substance abuse issues.

“He’s a risk to the community while driving,” Ms Daly said.

“This is a person who repeatedly puts the community at risk.”

Magistrate Simon Guthrie said it was “as if you’re saying, ‘I don’t care, no one’s going to tell me what to do’”.

“Jail didn’t work, community corrections orders didn’t work … and eventually it’s all caught up to you and you seem to think it was never going to catch up to you,” Mr Guthrie said.

“I don’t know what’s going to stop you.”

Mr Guthrie has adjourned sentencing to consider a community corrections order, telling Urquhart he could be facing a combination sentence with a prison term.

Originally published as Geelong man Peter Urquhart caught setting up drug sale