Narre Warren concreter dad Ben Thompson jailed for trafficking meth at family home
A Narre Warren dad was nabbed with meth hidden in PVC pipe in the backyard which he claimed belonged to a dead mate.
South East
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A Narre Warren dad who is expecting a baby in June has been jailed for slinging meth.
Ben Thompson, 39, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to a minimum two years jail after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of meth.
Thompson was nabbed after police raided his Narre Warren home he shared with his partner and two daughters on February 12 last year.
Investigators seized 335gs of meth, Viagra, cocaine, a CCTV system, an iPhone, scales and an extendible baton.
Thompson concealed his drugs in the house, the garage and within a PCV pipe buried in the backyard.
Police also discovered a hole underneath a birdbath and a petrol post hole digger in a shed.
Thompson, who appeared via his barrister’s office, told police he used meth because of “relationship issues”.
Thompson, a concreter, denied owning the Viagra and the baton, denied knowing what was found in the garage and refused police access to his phone.
The expectant father also claimed the meth belonged to “someone” who had died about a week before the raid but refused to name the deceased person.
Thompson claimed the deceased person just wanted to leave the drugs at his house for a night and pick up the next day.
“The last time I done that (deal with drugs) I ended up in a lot of debt,” Thompson said.
“I’m just doing favours here and there to work it off … I wasn’t getting paid.”
Judge Anne Hassan said she was not satisfied there was evidence of any mental health condition.
The court heard Thompson was a “hard worker and loving husband” who had a “stable upbringing”.
Thompson has worked mainly as a labourer and concreter since leaving school in Year 10, the court was told.
Thompson was jailed for a maximum three years.
