Leighton Peever sentenced at Gladstone for multiple drug offences

Meth, cannabis and “tick sheets” were not the only things police uncovered in a Central Queensland drug bust - they also found the offender keeping a protected animal.

Leighton Robert Peever was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court for numerous charges including drug offences.

A man who got into a “drug circle” of friends and committed a string of crimes has paid a high price for his mistakes.

Leighton Robert Peever, 24, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to 14 charges, including two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, and single counts of drug driving, evasion, possessing a knife in public, possessing tainted property, possessing property suspected of being proceeds of a drug crime, possessing drug utensils, and keeping a protected animal.

In relation to the evasion offence, the court was told that police saw Peever driving a Ford Ranger late at night at Gladstone.

Police tried to intercept him but Peever made no attempt to stop and sped away.

When officers eventually caught up with Peever, they found a large knife in the driver’s side door of the car.

The court heard police also busted Peever driving with both methamphetamine and cannabis in his system on Harvey Road, Clinton.

During search warrants executed at Peever’s Clinton residence, police found him in possession of 50.1g of cannabis, .7g of meth, $6900 cash, a “tick sheet” and drug items including three glass bongs and electronic scales.

Leighton Robert Peever.

While conducting the search, police also found an eastern blue-tongue lizard in an enclosure on the back patio.

Peever told police he’d had the lizard for about 12 months and checks revealed he had no permit or licence to keep the protected animal.

The lizard was seized and given to Queensland Parks and Wildlife.

The court heard Peever had three previous drug driving convictions and his criminal and traffic histories were both two pages.

Solicitor Jun Pepito said Peever had got in with a “drug circle” of friends and he had family in court to support him.

Mr Pepito also submitted Peever’s was not the most serious example of evasion and Magistrate Mary Buchanan accepted that saying: “I’ve seen worse evades.”

In imposing penalty on July 12, Ms Buchanan sentenced Peever to two months’ jail, placed him on 12 months’ probation, and disqualified him from driving for two years and three months.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Leighton Peever sentenced at Gladstone for multiple drug offences