Drugged-up concreter jailed for driving while high on cocaine, hillbilly heroin, cannabis

A Gold Coast concreter who faced court on eight charges was lapsing in and out of consciousness when police found him at a busy service station.

A Gold Coast concreter who faced court on eight charges was lapsing in and out of consciousness when police found him at a busy service station.

Elanora resident, Luke Gavan Russell, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on July 7 to charges including possessing cocaine, oxycodone and cannabis, drug driving while unlicensed, driving under the influence and being in possession of drug funds.

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The court heard the 34-year-old was stopped by police at a Stapleton petrol station on May 15 last year, where he was found heavily intoxicated behind the wheel of a car.

“Police found him veering in and out of consciousness during the interactions with him,” police prosecutor Tim Wise said.

At that time he was found in possession of cocaine, two tablets of oxycodone, four grams of cannabis, drug utensils and $1420 cash, suspected of being used in a drug act, the court heard.

Russell's lawyer, Andrew Owens, said his client struggles with a drug addiction.

“He’s someone who has been ravished with a drug addiction that keeps rearing its ugly head,” Mr Owens said.

Magistrate Terry Duroux said Russell had a history of similar offending, dating back several years.

“Your criminal history can best be described as reprehensible,” Mr Duroux said.

Russell was convicted and sentenced to three months’ prison for drug driving and was disqualified from driving for six months.

He was also sentenced to three months' jail for possessing money suspected of being used in a drug offence, and six months' jail for each of three counts of being in possession of dangerous drugs, all suspended for two years.

He was suspended from holding a driver's licence for two years for driving while unlicensed.

For the remaining charges he was convicted but not further punished.

Originally published as Drugged-up concreter jailed for driving while high on cocaine, hillbilly heroin, cannabis