Callide Power Station supervisor jailed for cocaine trafficking

A power station supervisor will spend the next six months behind bars for trafficking cocaine and marijuana, supplying to his mining colleagues, friends and family. Read the extraordinary reasons for his early release date

Biloela former mine worker, superviser at Callide Power station and former jumping castle business owner Timothy Daryl Barron, 43, was sentenced today in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton for two counts of trafficking dangerous drugs - cocaine and marijuana.

A Central Queensland power station employee who became addicted to cocaine was trafficking the drug, and marijuana, to his mining colleagues, friends and family members, a court heard.

Biloela football coach and former jumping castle business owner Timothy Daryl Barron, 43, was sentenced today in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton for two counts of trafficking dangerous drugs.

Crown prosecutor Kathryn Walker said Barron had at least 22 customers and at least one employee.

Barron trafficked cocaine for just over four months from October 25, 2020 to March 4, 2021, and marijuana for eight months from July 27, 2020 to April 9, 2021 to support his own cocaine addiction and to buy things for his wife and three children, the court heard.

Timothy Daryl Barron, 43, trafficked cocaine and marijuana.

However, he still drives the same LandCruiser he has owned since 2014 and his house is still heavily mortgage, his barrister Paul Rutledge told Justice Graeme Crow.

It has been estimated that Barron sold 3.727 kilograms of marijuana for $46,580 and 24 grams of cocaine for at least $10,800.

Barron also arranged a supply 20.15 grams of methamphetamines in 27.085 grams of substance during his drug trafficking periods which was to be picked up from a Gracemere residence- this pick up arrangement was detected during a phone intercept.

Justice Crow said police searched Barron’s accommodation at Dawson Village mining camp at Moura on May 12, 2021 and located $2000 cash hidden inside a sock and a tick sheet.

Police then searched Barron’s Biloela family home, located two mobile phones – one registered in his name and a second in someone else’s name – which contained evidence of his drug trafficking businesses.

Barron was then remanded in custody for four days before being granted bail.

Mr Rutledge said despite this “very serious drug offending” for a commercial purpose, Barron’s house was still “heavily mortgaged” and he still drove the same car he did before trafficking drugs which he had since 2014.

He said Barron “was an excellent member of the community who effectively slid into the drug world when suffering depression some years ago”.

Mr Rutledge said his client started using and it “accelerated” and he had more and more contact with the drug world, progressing to the point he was selling to fund his own habit and commercial purpose.

“One wonders what benefit at the end of the day he’s actually got out of all this,” he said.

Mr Rutledge said Barron hasn’t used drugs since his arrest and has not committed any other offences while he has been on bail for the past three years.

“He’s reconstructed his and his family’s life,” he said.

Mr Rutledge said that included now working at Callide Power Station as a supervisor of a 15-person crew in the cooling towers and clear drug test results.

The court heard Barron was born and raised in Biloela, had worked in mines, civil construction, power stations, roadworks and power stations since leaving school after Year 10.

He had also side businesses – jumping castles hires and cattle.

Timothy Daryl Barron, 43.

Mr Rutledge said Barron’s wife, who he met 15 years ago, worked part time in a school in a disability support role and they have three children, one which has mental health disorder.

He said his family were good country people who were not wealthy but they could help support Barron’s wife and children, but only for a very short period of time.

Mr Rutledge said his client recognised the seriousness of his offending meant he must spend time.

“The period that he spends in jail will be a hard one for his family and has the potential to financially devastate them,” he said.

Justice Crow said he accepted Barron had “turned his back on drugs” and did not expect to see him in the court for drugs in the future.

He said documentation provided also showed that if Barron, who had character references talking about his football coaching and work excellent work ethics, was “incarcerated for a long period of time, it may cause his family to be tossed out of their family home with terrible effects on his wife and children”.

Justice Crow said another feature in Barron’s favour was that he was a first time drug offender.

Barron pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking a dangerous drug, one of supplying a dangerous drug, one of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime and one of possessing property suspected being the proceeds of drugs.

Justice Crow sentenced him to four years prison, ordered him to serve six months in prison and declared four days presentence custody as time already served.

Barron will be released from prison on January 18, 2025.

Originally published as Callide Power Station supervisor jailed for cocaine trafficking