Luke Stagg: Launceston man sentenced to home detention, community service for trafficking
A Tasmanian father of two who lost his family home due to his descent into addiction helped an old school friend conduct a polysubstance trafficking operation, a court has heard. What he was sentenced to.
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A Tasmanian father of two who formerly worked as a chef has been sentenced to home detention and community service for assisting an old school friend to conduct a polysubstance trafficking operation, a court has heard.
Launceston man Luke Nigel Stagg, 40, formerly of Waverley and Bridport, was sentenced late last month in the Launceston Supreme Court, having previously pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance and several related summary offences.
Justice Robert Pearce sentenced Stagg to nine months imprisonment, wholly suspended for an operational period of two years, conditional upon the defendant entering into an 18-month community correction order.
Stagg was also ordered to perform 140 hours’ community service.
The court heard Stagg acted as the right-hand man of former school friend Shanelle Renee Delaney, 39, between October 13–21, 2020.
Delaney was trafficking in methamphetamine, 1,4-Butanediol (i.e. ‘liquid G’), and 4-butyrolactone (i.e. ‘GBL) between September 1–October 21, 2020, a longer period than Stagg assisted her for.
The court heard Stagg performed various tasks for Delaney: selling meth on her behalf, collecting parcels of liquid G, and helping to facilitate the importation of an ounce of meth into Tasmania at a cost of $11,000.
Police executed a search warrant on Delaney’s residence, where Stagg had been living, on October 21, after witnessing the pair collect parcels from addresses at Cadorna and Mangin streets in Launceston.
Analysis of Stagg’s phone revealed his involvement in Delaney’s activities, although police were unable to quantify how much drugs he sold.
The court heard Stagg denied involvement in Delaney’s drug trafficking.
Justice Pearce told the court Stagg had an unremarkable criminal history, with his most serious offending, in 2014, resulting in convictions for possessing and using a controlled plant, cultivating a controlled plant, possessing a thing used for administration of a controlled drug and two firearm offences.
Stagg’s struggles with meth addiction started when he began working as a chef a few years after leaving high school in year 10.
“That addiction led to serious consequences including the loss of the family home [at Waverley],” Justice Pearce said.
Stagg relocated to Bridport alongside his long-term partner and their two children for a fresh start, but the Covid pandemic saw his place of employment close, leading to a forced relocation back to Launceston, where he was unable to find work.
“He found this situation very stressful and relapsed into methamphetamine use,” Justice Pearce said.
Stagg found casual plumbing work which was how he reconnected with Delaney, who became his dealer. In no time at all, Stagg was consuming $1000 worth of drugs daily.
It was in this context that Stagg, who now works as a bricklayer’s labourer, moved into Delaney’s residence and became involved in her illicit operation, the court heard.
Delaney was sentenced in December last year to a drug treatment order with a 20-month custodial component, should she fail to adhere to the stringent conditions of the order.
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Originally published as Luke Stagg: Launceston man sentenced to home detention, community service for trafficking
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