‘Disturbing criminal record’: Nigel Conroy back in prison for dealing GHB and meth
A career crook fresh out of prison who sold drugs to “catch up” after his time inside has failed to convince a judge he was ready to reform. Find out why the Narre Warren North dealer will be behind bars for a while yet.
South East
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A convicted drug dealer caught with almost five kilos of GHB and a loaded gun at his Narre Warren North house has been jailed.
Nigel Conroy, 43, was sentenced in the County Court on June 4 to a minimum of four years and six months after pleading guilty to numerous drug charges.
Conroy was arrested at his Belgrave-Hallam Rd home on July 13, 2018 — just three weeks after he was released from prison.
Police recovered 4.8kg of butanediol (GHB), 56 grams of meth, a loaded .22 bolt action long arm rifle, an electrical bypass, almost $8000 cash, 19 oxycodone tablets and some scales during a search of the property.
The former Berwick High School student was living at the house with accomplice Natalie Popovits.
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Popovits was arrested after police recovered several illegal items during a raid on a Dandenong rental property the same day.
Popovits pleaded guilty at the committal stage and was sentenced to six months’ prison.
Conroy — who was on a community corrections order — told police he sold meth to fund his own 30-year drug addiction and to “catch up” because he had just been released from prison.
Judge Susan Pullen said Conroy’s “very disturbing, lengthy and relevant criminal record” included drug trafficking, dishonesty and possessing dangerous weapons convictions.
She said Conroy’s drug dealing enterprise may not have been “sophisticated” but it was “effective”.
Judge Pullen accepted Conroy had “made a start towards rehabilitation” but said prison was his only option.
“I have reservations about the true extent of your remorse,” she said.
“I have real concerns about your rehabilitation prospects.”
Conroy was sentenced to seven years in prison with a minimum of four years and six months.
He had served 312 days in prison at time of the sentence.