Liam Dunworth pleads guilty to possessing meth and cash

A wannabe barber was caught with a large amount of drugs and cash barely a month after he had been released on parole.

A wannabe Mackay barber was caught with a large amount of drugs and cash barely a month after he had been released on parole.

The courts have given “experienced criminal” Liam Michael Dunworth more chances than most.

At just 23 years old, he has a five-page criminal history and Justice Graeme Crow warned he was only looking at spending longer and longer periods in jail.

Liam Michael Dunworth pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of meth and about $15,000 cash.

Most recently police found Dunworth at a Rural View home where two women lived during a raid on April 29, 2021 – he had been in a locked bedroom alongside one of the women.

On the bedside table was 9.4 grams of meth and about $15,000 in cash.

Mackay Supreme Court heard Dunworth claimed ownership of the drugs and a used pipe, but refused to hand over passwords to a mobile phone.

He was arrested and has remained behind bars spending 440 days in pre-sentence custody.

Dunworth pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including aggravated meth possession and possessing a large amount of cash.

Justice Crow read through Dunworth’s criminal history, which was littered with drug offending.

In 2020 Dunworth was jailed for 3.5 years wholly suspended and because of his ages was released on a 2.5-year probation order after police uncovered a large amount of drugs including meth and MDMA worth about $50,000 during a raid on his home.

In 2020 Dunworth was jailed for 3.5 years wholly suspended but released on a 2.5-year probation order after being found with a large quantity of drugs in a home raid.

Justice Crow said this sentence was done with the intention to give Dunworth “a chance to stay out of prison and stay away from drugs”.

“Quite sad that you didn’t take up that opportunity,” Justice Crow said.

Barely six weeks later he was back drug offending breaching his suspended sentence and landing him back in the supreme court.

In March 2021 he was released on parole.

“And again you were given a great chance as a young man … and yet (in) April you were back possessing dangerous drugs,” Justice Crow said, adding he was now living the result of that being in custody.

The court heard his drug use began with marijuana use at age 14 and increased to more serious use in his later teens.

Crown prosecutor Josh Phillips described Dunworth as an “experienced criminal” who “has had probably more chances than many people do in the criminal courts”.

Dunworth was given an immediate parole eligibility date.

“He is only 23, so his age does give him a measure of leniency despite other indications,” Mr Phillips said.

Barrister Scott McLennan, instructed by Legal Aid Queensland, said his client still enjoyed the support of his family – his mother was in the gallery for her son’s sentence.

The court heard Dunworth engaged in one-on-one counselling with Lives Lived Well and it was recommended he attend a live-in rehabilitation centre on his release from jail.

He was jailed for 18 months which was cumulative to an earlier jail term bringing the total to 3.5 years with immediate parole eligibility because of time already served.

Originally published as Liam Dunworth pleads guilty to possessing meth and cash