Brisbane tradie sentenced over pot production

A Brisbane tradie has been sentenced after a police raid uncovered more than 16kg of cannabis and four growing tents on the property where he was living. But it may never have been found if officers at a regional airport didn’t notice one thing.

A property where Hicks was staying on the Atherton Tableland was raided and police found a total of 16.5 kilograms of cannabis in varying stages of production. Picture: istock file photo

A Brisbane scaffolder caught with kilos of cannabis was a self-described hippy growing the drug “organically” to give out to people, a court has heard.

Brett Hicks, 52, pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing cannabis, producing cannabis in excess of 500 grams, possessing cannabis in excess of 500 grams and possessing two grinders and a bong.

Hicks first caught the attention of police in February last year when he posted a parcel containing 385 grams of cannabis buds and leaves from Malanda on the Atherton Tableland to himself in Brisbane.

“The parcel came to the attention of police at the airport because of the strong cannabis smell,” District Court Judge Tracy Fantin said at Hicks’ sentencing this month.

“The cannabis was located immediately.”

About four weeks later police raided a property where Hicks was staying on the Atherton Tableland between Malanda and Millaa Millaa.

They found a total of 16.5 kilograms of cannabis in varying stages of production at the fairly heavily vegetated property, which Hicks did not own.

A shed he was living in and storing cannabis in was about 200 metres within thick bushland. Along the driveway were four large grow tents. Electricity was supplied to the tents but unusually the set-up lacked reticulated irrigation and lighting, Judge Fantin said.

Inside the tents were a total of 185 cannabis plants from very small seedlings to 1.2 metre tall shrubs. The total weight of the plants was almost 12 kilos.

Dried and cut up cannabis was found in various jars as well as bags in a chest freezer.

The total weight of the cannabis located in the premises was 4.731 kilos, the court heard.

“You told police, ‘basically, what we’re doing is growing it organically to give out to people’,” Judge Fantin, who noted Hicks took responsibility for all of the cannabis on the property being his, said.

“In effect, you told police of an intention to share the cannabis with others, but not necessarily on a paying basis.

“The relevance of you saying you were growing it organically is, apparently, that you are a self-described hippy.

“I am not sentencing you on the basis that you produced it for commercial purposes or possessed it for commercial purposes.”

The court heard Hicks had very recently obtained a prescription for medicinal cannabis for medical conditions including anxiety.

Judge Fantin said Hicks was the principal offender and it was not suggested others were involved.

She noted he had co-operated with police by making admissions, had a limited and dated criminal history and had not offended since.

Hicks was sentenced to 15 months prison with immediate parole.

“You might have some view that you can go and live in the bush, off-grid, in a self-sustaining community and smoke cannabis and nothing will happen to anyone, but that is not what the law of Queensland says,” Judge Fantin said.

Originally published as Brisbane tradie sentenced over pot production