Accused drug syndicate member was just selling mulch to a ‘d**khead’, court hears

A MAN accused of being involved in a large scale Darwin based drug smuggling enterprise was actually just selling mulch to a ‘d**khead’ client of his gardening business, a court has heard.

A man arrested after a police raid uncovered a 132kg haul of cannabis is actually in the business of selling mulch to d**kheads, a court has heard. Picture: Che Chorley

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A MAN accused of being involved in a large scale Darwin based drug smuggling enterprise was actually just selling mulch to a “d**khead” client of his gardening business, a court has heard.

Mark Barry McKenzie, 50, faced the Darwin Local Court on Friday, charged with drug offences relating to an alleged criminal syndicate accused of importing more than 1.5 tonnes of cannabis into the NT.

In applying for bail, his lawyer Peter Maley said he was only “on the very periphery” of the wider criminal enterprise, saying telephone intercepts in which McKenzie discussed selling “mulch” were work ­related.

“My client operates a tree lopping and gardening business, he’s done so for 10 years,” he said.

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But Judge John Neill questioned whether the exchanges sounded like “a commercial business telephone conversation”.

“(He says) ‘How many metres of mulch do you want?’, (the customer) replies “Mulch? For me?’ and appears confused,” he said.

“Mr McKenzie says ‘Switch on d**khead’ and he says ‘Oh, oh, two cubic metres for me’.”

Mr Maley said the full content of the phone calls was yet to be disclosed by the prosecution and would be “vigorously contested” in the Supreme Court.

“He does know a couple of the people allegedly part of this criminal syndicate, and there are many, many phone calls, work-related phone calls, social-related phone calls, and the material contained in the Crown facts has been very carefully selected,” he said.

“Out of all of the alleged co-offenders, Mr McKenzie’s involvement is on the periphery.

“There’s been a warrant executed, there was no drugs or money or paraphernalia found, he’s got strong ties here and he’s someone the court can have real confidence will appear (in court).”

In denying bail, Judge Neill said the telephone intercepts showed McKenzie “in effect, condemning himself out of his own mouth” in involvement in the drug trade.

“The material before the court makes it plain the defendant is up to his eyeballs in some sort of cannabis-related drug activity,” he said.

“It shows this is a man up to his ears to the tune of $129,200 in funding the purchase of cannabis.”

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McKenzie will return to court, along with alleged syndicate kingpin Peter Wellman James, on December 16.

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