Vincent Raymond Edwards sentenced in the Townsville Supreme Court for possession of dangerous drugs

A man who once worked as a boat captain, miner and concreter became a “successful” drug dealer for a large-scale syndicate, a court has heard.

Vincent Raymond Edwards sentenced in Townsville’s Supreme Court for possession of dangerous drugs

A man who once worked as a boat captain, miner and concreter became a “successful” drug dealer for a large-scale syndicate, a court has heard.

Vincent Raymond Edwards was sentenced in the Townsville Supreme Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to five drug related charges including the possession of dangerous drugs.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate said the 32-year-old began dealing methamphetamine in January 2023, however it wasn’t until six months later when he fell in with new suppliers who were part of a national drug enterprise where business began to boom.

Mr Walklate said for just over two months, Edwards was typically able to move three ounces of methamphetamines a day, totalling to around 1.2 kilograms, to a customer base of 95 people.

He was arrested after a police investigation linked him to the drug syndicate and officers found a small quantity of meth, clip seal bags and digital scales at his Townsville home, a court was told.

“It was evidently a pretty sophisticated operation,” Mr Walklate said.

Defence barrister Harvey Walters, instructed by Rennick Lawyers, said Edwards turned to drugs after the breakdown of his 14 year long relationship with his partner.

Mr Walters said he quickly became addicted to meth which escalated into “sourcing the drug to support his own addiction” before he was drawn into dealing drugs.

Justice David North said his bank records from May to September 2023 showed he had sold $55,555 worth of drugs.

“You can be described as a busy trafficker, operating a successful business selling significant quantities of methamphetamines to a large customer base,” he said.

“The circumstance that you could move as much as three ounces of methamphetamine over a period of one day, at worst three or four days … speaks volumes for the size of the enterprise and the audacity of it.”

Justice North labelled him a “good salesman, running an efficient business” but highlighted the seriousness of his offending.

“Methamphetamine is a scourge,” he said.

He was sentenced to seven and a half years jail and given a parole eligibility date of March 5, 2026, as the 576 days spent in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.

Originally published as Vincent Raymond Edwards sentenced in the Townsville Supreme Court for possession of dangerous drugs