Frankston druggie Dwayne Hepple found with ice, GHB after police pursuit and canine cop chase
Grief-stricken at losing his father a Frankston man turned to drugs. The spiral continued as he racked up offences and ended up with him being hunted down by the police K9 unit.
South East
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A repeat drug offender caught with ice, GHB and a knife after being chased down by a police dogs has blamed his dad’s death for his downward descent into crime.
Dwayne Robert Hepple had only been out of jail a matter of months when he was involved in a police pursuit through Frankston.
The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to three drug and weapons possession charges and breaching a court order at Frankston Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
He had been sentenced to four months’ jail late last year for deceptions, thefts, driving, weapons and drug offences, and was on a community corrections order when he committed these crimes.
The court heard he was a passenger in a car in a chase that began at 12.30am on August 19 this year.
The car was abandoned in McAlister St, Frankston and Hepple and another male jumped out and fled on foot.
But they only got around 100m before they were tracked down by the dog squad.
Hepple had 3g of ice, loads of drug deal bags, a small quantity of GHB and a knife with him.
His defence lawyer told the court Hepple’s father died of a heart attack around five years ago which he had struggled to come to terms with.
He said he turned to drugs and committed crimes to pay for his substance abuse, but he was now clean and upon release would live with his two brothers in Frankston.
He said he had already spent two months in custody and submitted a “short, sharp (jail) sentence” was appropriate.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso agreed, telling Hepple he “had not made a good fist” of corrections orders in the past so a straight prison term was required.
“It is tragic when someone loses a parent,” Mr Gattuso said.
“But you’ve got to make better decisions from now on; if you return to drug use you will commit further crimes and the penalties will get longer and longer.
“This is a chance for you to have a fresh start.”
Hepple was jailed for three months, minus 63 days he has already served, and fined $750.
Due to the allocation of COVID-19 emergency management days he has accrued while on remand, he is likely to be released within the next couple of weeks.
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