Kody Shang charged over drug possession, knife possession

A young Northern Rivers man wound up behind bars on remand for several months after he was charged with a long list of offences including drug possession and carrying knives in public.

A young Northern Rivers man wound up behind bars on remand for several months after he was charged with a long list of offences including drug possession and carrying knives in public.

Court documents reveal Kody Shang, 28, had an extensive criminal history in NSW and Queensland even before he was charged with possessing suspected stolen goods, drug possession and custody of a knife in a public place earlier this year.

Police found Shang riding a bike that did not belong to him with a 30cm kitchen knife in his pants, 1.17g of the drug ice, an empty syringe disposal container and a Victorian driver’s licence in another person’s name on February 4.

He was granted bail at the time, before he was locked up on remand in July after he was subsequently charged with unlawfully pertaining goods, possessing housebreaking elements, cards in possession that weren’t his and cannabis in the early hours of July 24.

Further documents tendered to Tweed Heads Local Court reveal police approached Shang because he was again riding a suspected stolen bike without a helmet and a backpack while they were patrolling Kennedy Drive in Tweed Heads at 3.50am on July 24.

At Tweed Heads Local Court on September 5, magistrate Geoff Dunlevy told Kody Shang in custody via a video link “You need to get help with your ice addiction".

Shang, well affected by drugs with his noticeably fast and erratic speech, was found with small bolt cutters in his left shorts’ pocket.

“I’ve had a big ice binge, I know I’ve breached my bail,” Shang said to police.

Shang then said to police he had a knife with a serrated wooden blade in his front pocket, stating “I have trouble telling the difference between what is real because of ice”.

Police then conducted a search of Shang’s backpack which contained stolen bank cards, a hammer wrapped in a black jumper, a purse and cannabis in a zip-locked bag.

At Tweed Heads Local Court on September 5, magistrate Geoff Dunlevy heard Shang in custody via a video link.

“You need to get help with your ice addiction,” Mr Dunlevy said.

After Shang spent several weeks behind bars, Mr Dunlevy convicted him and sentenced him to a 12-month community corrections order.

Shang received a conviction with no further penalty for the drug possession.

Originally published as Kody Shang charged over drug possession, knife possession