David McCalman: Scooter-riding drug dealer caught red-handed
Most drug dealers drive BMWs or Mercs, but this Frankston ice seller rocked up at Karingal shops on a black motorised scooter.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A scooter-riding drug dealer who sold ice in a busy shopping centre carpark right under the noses of cops has been jailed.
David Alan McCalman was also nabbed with a big bag of meth, bundles of cash and weapons when police raided his Frankston house.
The 54-year-old career crook has more than 100 offences on his rap sheet, the majority of which are drugs, dealing, dishonesty or driving related.
McCalman pleaded guilty to trafficking, drug possessions, weapons and proceeds of crime charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard in July 2019 police were patrolling the Karingal Village Shopping Centre in Frankston as it was a “known drug activity area”.
Right in front of their eyes McCalman rode up on his black motorised scooter and stopped next to a man stood on the footpath.
He handed the man a small bag in exchange for a roll of cash.
Officers pounced and arrested McCalman with $150 in his hand, while the other man was nabbed with .4g of ice.
In McCalman’s wallet was another $600 in cash, said to be proceeds of crime.
Fast forward to March 31 this year and police had got wind there was drug activity taking place at his home.
When officers raided it they found him in his bedroom with 4.5g of ice and $940 in cash.
He also had 20ml of GHB, a small amount of cannabis, a knuckle duster and a laser pointer as well as several phones, one of which was believed to have been stolen.
McCalman refused to give police the PIN to his mobile and said the drugs had been “given to him by a friend for free”, although he didn’t care to name that kind-hearted mate.
His defence lawyer said her client had a very long history of drug use and the period he has spent on remand was probably the longest he had been clean in decades.
She said his first time behind bars had been a “substantial wake-up call” for him, and he now realised “drugs had got him nowhere” in life.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said McCalman had been given three corrections orders since 2016, which he had breached, and in the past had received suspended jail sentences.
“He has a pretty extensive criminal history, it is over 100 offences and goes back close to 40 years,” Mr Ayres said.
“This is not low level possession; the quantity of drugs and cash is not trifling.”
McCalman was jailed for two months minus 29 days already served, and fined $500.
