Repeat Cairns meth trafficker Fabian O’Hara jailed for seven years
A Cairns man who restarted his meth trafficking business while on parole for another trafficking offence has been jailed, with a judge saying it would take “strength and courage” for him to turn his life around.
A Cairns man who restarted his meth trafficking business while on parole for another trafficking offence has been jailed, with a judge saying it would take “strength and courage” for him to turn his life around.
Fabian O’Hara, 34, pleaded guilty in the Cairns Supreme Court to one count of trafficking in dangerous drugs and two counts possessing a dangerous drug in excess of two grams.
Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said O’Hara had a “significant” criminal history and started trafficking methamphetamine in March 2020 for about six weeks.
He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for that offence in June 2021.
Ms Friedewald told the court O’Hara was released on parole in June 2022, and while he “remained on track for a period of time”, he started trafficking drugs again 13 months later.
“He sourced in wholesale amounts, usually ounce quantities, and he supplied in upper street-level quantities of between 1.75 grams and 3.5 grams,” Ms Friedewald said.
The court was told that for the first three months, O’Hara assisted his partner, Chayenne-Elizabeth Marie Doolan, with her meth trafficking business, which included sourcing, collecting and delivering drugs to her.
In July this year, Ms Doolan plead guilty to trafficking meth in the Cairns Supreme Court and was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Ms Friedewald said while the couple generated revenue between $37,500 to $47,000, it was likely higher due to the use of encrypted applications that meant the true amount was not known.
The court was told that O’Hara fled from police on two separate occasions.
In October 2023, Ms Friedewald said while being pursued by police for riding an e-scooter without a helmet, O’Hara rode into oncoming traffic, crash into a moped and fled, leaving behind a blue bag containing more than $19,000 cash and 153 grams of meth.
He fled from police again in January 2024 when they came to his home to arrest him, dropping a bag containing more than $15,000 in cash and two glass pipes, the court was told.
Defence barrister Martin Longhurst said his client was a “heavy” drug user who wasn’t using money from his business to splurge on luxury items.
“He wasn’t living some hedonistic, fancy life,” Mr Longhurst said.
“I’ve described the flow of income to my client as really being subsistence for himself and supporting his habit.”
He also said O’Hara and Doolan were in an “on-again-off-again” relationship and weren’t running an enterprise together, describing their respective businesses as “two ships very close together going but in the same direction”.
Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said O’Hara’s offences were “unquestionably” serious.
“(Methamphetamine) destroy people’s health and their lives and the ripple effects extend to their families,” she said.
“What makes it more serious is that you’ve been sentenced for this offence before.”
Justice Bowskill said O’Hara had taken responsibility for his actions.
“What you said in your affidavit is that you feel ashamed of your actions in terms of how it’s impacted on your family,” he said.
“I hope you mean those things – there’s no moving past this unless you do.”
O’Hara was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and will be eligible for parole on November 10, 2026.
Justice Bowskill said O’Hara could do something “far more positive” once released from prison, as he had a qualification and had worked in the past.
“That will take courage and it will take strength to do that because none of this is going to be easy … I hope you can stick to what you have planned,” she said.
Convictions were recorded.
Originally published as Repeat Cairns meth trafficker Fabian O’Hara jailed for seven years
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