Ipswich father Wayne Patu enlists daughter to smuggle opioids into correctional facility

An Ipswich father’s ‘despicable act’ to enlist his 18-year-old criminology student daughter to smuggle drugs into his correctional facility has been revealed in court.

Ipswich father Wayne Patu, 44, and his daughter Aigataulagi Patu, 20, have faced Ipswich District Court today for their scheme to smuggle drugs into a correctional facility.

The court heard that Wayne Patu enlisted his daughter’s help to repay his drug debts to fellow inmates while he was imprisoned at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre in 2020. Aigataulagi was 18 at the time.

They conversed over the phone on 22 occasions, switching between English and Samoan languages.

Wayne Patu monitored incremental payments totalling approximately $4500 to his daughter from a range of accounts, and organised for Aigataulagi to bring the opioids to him as “a gift”.

The calls had been monitored, and on August 14 2020, the police intercepted Aigataulagi upon her arrival at the facility.

She immediately complied and removed approximately $26,700 worth of suboxone strips from her bra.

Today, both Aigataulagi and Wayne Patu pleaded guilty to one count of supplying dangerous drugs within a correctional facility.

Wayne Patu, 44, who appeared in Ipswich District Court for supplying drugs within a correctional facility.

The court heard that Aigataulagi was predominantly raised by her grandparents, as her parents split when she was young and her father was in and out of prison throughout her upbringing.

The court heard Wayne Patu had a long history of drug and violent offences.

Notably, he received a head sentence of eight years imprisonment in October 2017 for armed robbery in company.

His daughter, Aigataulagi has no previous offences on her record.

Her lawyer, Ms Wyatt described her as a “good citizen”, considering her active involvement in the community.

“Ms Patu is not a drug addict; she doesn’t use drugs; she hasn’t stolen them,” she said.

Aigataulagi finished high school at Westside Christian College in 2018 and was employed full time until late last year.

She recently enrolled in a TAFE course in crime and justice, with hopes to pursue criminology in the future.

Ms Wyatt argued, “she was worried about her father. She knew he was under some pressure.”

Aigataulagi Patu, 20, who appeared in Ipswich District Court for supplying drugs within a correctional facility.

The court heard that Aigataulagi has not been in contact with her father since her drug supply offence.

Judge Horneman-Wren noted that in Aigataulagi’s case, “there is potential for economic and social wellbeing to be impacted upon by the recording of the conviction.”

She received two years probation and her conviction was not recorded.

Judge Horneman-Wren reprimanded Wayne Patu, saying it was “a despicable act by a father to draw your daughter, who had no criminal offences at the time … into such serious offences”

He sentenced Wayne Patu to 12 months imprisonment, cumulative to his current convictions, with a parole eligibility date set for today, Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

“Our community expects that our prisons are free of drugs so that people committed under the influence of drugs may have opportunities to recover,” said Judge Horneman-Wren.

Wayne Patu’s convictions were recorded and his pre-sentence custody of 567 days could not be declared time served.

Originally published as Ipswich father Wayne Patu enlists daughter to smuggle opioids into correctional facility