Matthew Luke George granted bail after being charged with drug trafficking
A surety of $100,000 has been handed over so a former elite grammar school student accused of drug trafficking was released on bail.
A former private school boy accused of trafficking cocaine and having links to bikies has been given bail after $100,000 was offered to the court as surety.
Matthew Luke George, who previously attended the elite Toowoomba Grammar School, is charged with trafficking, possessing drugs and possessing anything used in the commission of a drug crime.
Police will allege that the 29-year-old was linked to a number of drug busts across Queensland based on messages uncovered on the encrypted platform Signal.
It will be further alleged Mr George used the alias ‘Ricky Bobby’ as his username on the encrypted app and recruited others to supply drugs on his behalf.
Justice Paul Freeburn granted bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday.
He accepted the surety of $100,000 be paid to the court for Mr George’s release from custody on bail.
The set amount is double the $50,000 initially offered to the Brisbane Magistrates Court during a previous bail application.
Police prosecutor Lauren Archer had opposed the original bail application for Mr George in Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 26.
She previously told the court the crown case against Mr George was “extremely strong”.
Police will also allege Mr George has ties to outlaw bikie gangs, which his solicitor Andrew Owens, of Owens and Associates, rejected.
Mr Owens had previously told Brisbane Magistrates Court his client had fallen in with the wrong crowd leading to his drug use but had not offended for nearly six years.
The matter was adjourned to Brisbane District Court on November 16.
The former Toowoomba Grammar School student had also previously attended St Laurence’s College in Brisbane and studied business at the Queensland University of Technology.
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