Matthew Warrington: ‘Tripper’ withdrew Covid super to buy drugs
An imbiber of all things illicit used his pandemic superannuation funds to purchase “copious amounts” of mind-bending substances.
South East
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A Frankston dance-loving druggie took out his government-sanctioned Covid super money to fuel his desire for a range of pills, powders and potions, a court has heard.
Matthew John Warrington withdrew the cash to buy alls sorts of gear including ice, GHB, cannabis, magic mushrooms, 1-4 Bute, DMT and prescription medication.
The self-confessed “tripper” trance fan was also caught trying to steal from a generous housemate who had kindly let him stay at her home.
Warrington pleaded guilty to a raft of trafficking and drug possession-related offences at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The court heard on July 7 last year PSOs saw him stumbling along Fletcher St in Frankston.
He was highly drug-affected so officers called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital.
While there he became aggressive, had to be sedated and police were called.
Cops searched his satchel and found large bags of cannabis, $1070 in cash, 45g of magic mushrooms, 6.5g of ice, deal bags, a glass pipe and prescription medication that was not his.
A week later he was staying at a friend’s place in Bayswater when she woke up to find him going through her belongings.
She told him to leave, and called police.
Officers found three bags of ice, cannabis, bottles of diazepam, glass pipes and syringes in the room he had been staying in.
Two weeks later a cleaner at the boarding house where he was staying in Capel Sound noticed a suspicious bottle of liquid in his room.
Cops were again called and found 1-4 Bute, magic mushrooms, DMT drugs and flares as well as a multitude of precursor chemicals.
Warrington must have got wind of the raid and never returned to the house.
He was then on the lam until he was found sleeping at a Frankston property on February 8 this year – this time with ice, ketamine tablets and a bag of cannabis under his bed.
Each time he was caught he was unable to be interviewed due to his drug-addled state.
Defence lawyer Heather Anderson said Warrington had mental health issues and was not coping very well with the Covid lockdowns.
She said he had been effectively homeless and turned to buying “copious amounts” of drugs which he funded through superannuation withdrawals.
She said her client had spent more than 180 days on remand and was hopeful of being accepted into a residential rehabilitation facility upon release.
Magistrate Dr Michael King said his time already behind bars was a sufficient penalty, but Warrington needed to be told he would spend years in custody if he didn’t set his life straight.
“Methamphetamine (ice) is a significant problem in the community, it leads to the destruction of families, the destruction of lives,” Dr King said.
“You’ve been given a taste of what to expect if you continue down that path.”
Warrington was sentenced to 183 days in jail, classed as time served, and released to do a 15-month drug and mental health counselling community corrections order.
