Drug dealer Ben Watson jailed for trafficking meth at Hotel Chadstone

A meth dealer who ran a Hotel Chadstone Sofitel drug racket has checked into new digs but this time room service isn’t included.

Drug dealer Ben Watson was busted trafficking meth at the Hotel Chadstone MGallery by Sofitel.

A drug-dealing dad-to-be nabbed with meth and cash at a swank Melbourne hotel has been jailed.

Ben Watson, 31, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to a minimum six years and nine months’ jail after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of meth.

Watson was pinched at the plush Hotel Chadstone MGallery by Sofitel with more than half-a-kilo of meth on February 19 last year.

The convicted drug dealer had set up shop inside room 920 at the up-market hotel linked to Chadstone shopping centre.

Police stormed his room and seized 517g of meth, scales, mobile phones and $33,710 cash.

Watson, who was semi-naked and agitated, was hauled in for questioning but gave a “no comment” interview to police.

Hotel housekeepers discovered receipts for ice pipes and mobile phones after police had concluded their search.

The court was told Watson’s room had a “bad smell” and had been “trashed”.

Investigators latched onto Watson’s racket after eagled-eyed hotel staff spotted “suspicious” behaviour on February 18.

The employees saw two men walk around the hotel carpark and point at the ceiling.

Staff examined CCTV and determined the two people in the vision had come from room 920 but were not the same people who booked the room.

Their suspicions were handballed to a senior hotel manager who reported the matter to police.

The court was told Watson paid a friend to book the room on February 16.

Watson, via his barrister, claimed the meth was to cover his personal addiction costs but would not cop to where the drugs and cash had come from.

Judge Michael Tinney gave Watson multiple opportunities at his earlier plea hearing to fess up to where he had gotten the meth.

“He’s in a hotel room, with 513g of meth … where from, what’s it worth, what’s he doing with it?,” Judge Tinney said.

“He must know where he got that drug … I’m not saying he has to name names.

“He’s not some silly young teenager … he’s a mature man … he just trafficks, he takes a calculated risk.”

The matter was stood down so barrister Megan Tittensor SC, for Watson, could seek instructions from her client.

It was later submitted Watson stole the meth from “someone who was sleeping” and had recently “got into a bit of money”.

“That’s it is it?,” Judge Tinney said.

“He stole the drugs, the cash, how about the scales?

“Yeah, all right … I have some serious doubts about this version.”

The court was told Watson finished high school but later suffered a serious car accident.

Watson, a heavy drug user from Melbourne’s southeast, worked various jobs including as a tree lopper.

The court was told Watson may have a son on the way but it was yet to be determined if he was the father.

It was also submitted Watson has spent much of the last few years in jail.

“That’s because he wont stop offending and breaching parole,” Judge Tinney said.

Watson was jailed for a maximum nine years and six months.

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