Daniel Hoogenboom: Berwick druggie dad had ‘near death’ drug DMT

Tripping Berwick dad who dabbled in all sorts of substances, including the ‘near death’ hallucogen DMT, says he’s had enough of junkie life.

A self-confessed junkie was caught driving three times with drugs - including the ‘near death’ hallucogenic DMT.

A self-confessed junkie caught three times with drugs — including the ‘near death’ hallucogenic DMT — says he is “sick of it” and vowed to give up for the sake of his young daughter.

Daniel Hoogenboom was nabbed with a smorgasbord of illegal substances in his vehicle on three occasions within 11 months.

And this was while the Berwick 31-year-old software technician was on a community corrections order he got for trafficking ice.

DMT — or N, N-dimethyltryptamine — is a powerful hallucogenic plant-based drug which some users describe as giving a “near-death experience”.

It can cause delusions involving elf-like creatures or alien beings, and carries a small risk of permanent psychosis.

Hoogenboom pleaded guilty to a series of drug possession and court order breach charges at the online Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The court heard police intercepted his car in Cranbourne at 5.30am on January 31 this year.

He appeared evasive, was glassy-eyed and nervous.

When officers searched his car they found a glass pipe, some 1-4 Bute, numerous zip lock bags and a syringe.

At 4am on June 16 last year he was pulled over in Cranbourne North.

This time cops found a bag of cannabis, a bag of synthetic marijuana, zip lock bags and DMT.

He admitted the DMT and cannabis was his, and said he thought synthetics were legal.

And in February he had been nabbed in Keysborough with cannabis and GHB after being pulled over for having no headlight.

Hoogenboom’s defence lawyer said he has told her he is “sick of it” and had enough of being beholden to drugs.

She said although he didn’t traffick any more, he simply was “not able to stop using” and all the drugs he was caught with were for personal use.

She said the six days he had spent in custody was the first time he had been behind bars and made him realise he needed to get clean for the sake of his young child.

Magistrate Tony Burns said it was up to Hoogenboom to show he could prosper, and that process would start by him being receptive to drug treatment.

He said “his fate was in his own hands” and the order he was going to be put on was his last opportunity to stay out of jail.

He was convicted and released on an 18-month 100-hour unpaid work and drug treatment community corrections order.