Luke William Mcwhinnie: Uber driver pleads guilty to hydroponic cannabis set-up

A court has heard how police found a treasure trove of hydroponics equipment and cannabis plants in a Gold Coast hinterland property occupied by an Uber driver.

Luke William Mcwhinnie, 39, pleaded guilty to a slew of drug-related charges when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday including possessing dangerous drug. Picture: Facebook

A hydroponics growing set-up, cannabis plants and a number of drug paraphernalia has landed an Uber driver in hot water.

Luke William Mcwhinnie, 39, pleaded guilty to a slew of drug-related charges when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, including unlawfully producing a dangerous drug and two charges of possessing a dangerous drug.

The court heard police attended an address in Bonogin to execute a search warrant around 3.25pm on May 11, 2024 when they noticed a second dwelling located under a driveway/carport area.

Mcwhinnie answered the door of the dwelling when officers knocked.

Inside the bedroom of the dwelling police found a sophisticated hydroponics growing set-up with two tents, LED lighting, and a water filtration system.

Under one of the tents, police found eight medium sized cannabis plants growing in pots of soil and fertiliser.

Police found another cannabis plant under the other tent, which appeared to have been separated from the other plants and left to dry in its pot.

In the second bedroom, police found a cannabis plant which had been harvested as well as one kilogram of cannabis leaves and cuttings inside a white bucket.

More cannabis was found, including in a pot in a kitchen and a bowl in the living area.

A number of cannabis plants and drug-related items were found in the Bonogin dwelling. Picture: iStock

The court heard police also found a silver pot holding around 943 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms.

Officers also located chemicals and fertilisers, empty plastic clip seal bags, numerous empty gelatine-style capsules, a capsule press device, an electric coffee style grinder with cannabis residue, electronic scales with plant residue and a glass bong.

The court hear Mcwhinnie made admissions to erecting the hydroponic set-up and to growing the plants using chemicals and fertilisers when he was in an interview with police

He admitted to growing the magic mushrooms in a nearby location around two months prior to the police search and using scales to weigh the chopped up mushrooms which he then placed into capsules to swallow.

He told police he did so because he did not like the taste.

His defence lawyer Mark Butler of Osborne Butler Lawyers, told the court his client had no criminal history prior to the offence and he had co-operated with police.

He noted it was alleged that the drugs were for personal use, not commercial.

Mr Butler said Mcwhinnie had been receiving treatment from his general practitioner and had received a prescription for medical cannabis.

The court heard Mcwhinnie had weaned himself of the drug and has returned to antidepressants.

Mr Butler said this was because Mcwhinnie, who works as an Uber driver, realised his prescription would not be a defence under current driving laws.

He also asked a conviction not be recorded as it would have a negative impact on Mcwhinnie’s financial position, given he has to regularly change jobs due to a degenerative back issue.

Acting Magistrate Sarah Thompson took into account Mcwhinnie’s guilty plea and that he seemed to be self medicating.

She noted the offending but said he true weight of cannabis found inside the white bucket was unknown as it also included cuttings.

Mcwhinnie was fined $2000.

A conviction was not recorded for three charges- possessing utensils or pipes for use, possessing utensils that had been used and possessing anything used in the commission of crime.

Originally published as Luke William Mcwhinnie: Uber driver pleads guilty to hydroponic cannabis set-up