Lachlan Clarke: COVID bored carpenter’s Quest hotel drug binge
A bored tradie with no work due to COVID didn’t use his spare time wisely, slipping back into drug habits at a Frankston hotel.
South East
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A COVID-bored out-of-work carpenter found with ice and GHB in a Frankston hotel room has been warned to stay off drugs or he’ll end up dead.
Lachlan Clarke was nicked at the Quest Frankston on the Bay after a tip-off there were substances being consumed at the Nepean Highway centre.
The Somerville 23-year-old was also found by police with cannabis in his bag after he fell asleep inside a Maccas during a COVID-19 lockdown.
He pleaded guilty to drug possession charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard cops raided a room, which had been booked under Clarke’s own ID, on February 1 last year after being told drugs were being used there.
When officers walked inside they saw a 1g bag of ice on the table right in front of Clarke and a bottle of GHB on the floor next to him.
During a search of the room they uncovered another bottle of GHB and a blister pack of Seroquel which was not in Clarke’s name.
At around 11.30pm on May 22, it was the height of the coronavirus pandemic when Clarke walked into the Hastings McDonalds and plugged in his mobile phone to get recharged.
He then sat down and fell asleep, and when woken up by staff he refused to leave.
Police were called and searched him, finding a bag of cannabis weighing around 4g in his bag.
He was not meant to be inside the fast food restaurant due to COVID restrictions in place at the time.
Clarke’s defence lawyer said the qualified carpenter and building subcontractor was out of work last year due to coronavirus restrictions.
She said he was bored and relapsed into dabbling in recreational drugs.
She said he was now “on his recovery journey” and “free of substance dependence” and did not associate with his previous peers any more.
She said he had strong family support, and was back and very busy in full time work.
Magistrate Peter Dunn said using meth was a “one-way ticket” to jail, or worse.
“If he continues to use drugs he will end up in Frankston Cemetery or Port Phillip Prison,” Mr Dunn said.
“Ice users simply just end up in prison or dead.
“And (it is good) he has sacked all his mates who use drugs.”
Mr Dunn said he accepted recording a conviction would be detrimental to Clarke’s future prospects of being able to work on government building projects.
He was given a non-conviction two-year good behaviour bond with the condition he continues his drug counselling.
