Mackay and Whitsunday’s miners convicted and sentenced to jail, named

From a drug king with alleged links to the Finks bikie gang to stash of ecstasy for a 1g a day habit, the criminal miners of Mackay and the Whitsundays can be revealed.

From a Mackay mine worker trying to light a Federal politician’s car alight, to a Cannonvale man allowing his friends to smoke illegal substances at his house, some of the region’s miners have caused some trouble off the work site.

Here are 11 of Mackay and Whitsunday’s miners who have not turned over a new rock.

Jason Anthoney Nielson

A miner struggling to deal with his wife‘s cancer diagnosis aided a known drug dealer in his trafficking business in the Whitsundays.

Nielson pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, possessing property suspected to be used in commission of a drug offence and possessing a drug utensil.

Nielson had worked at Glencore’s Hail Creek mine for 11 years, where his wife was still working, but lost his job when he was charged with trafficking.

The court heard Nielson had worked his way up at Collinsville back to the dragline operator position he had before he was fired.

Neilson said his wife’s cervical cancer diagnosis led him to using methamphetamines more often, after being a long-time recreational user.

Neilson was sentenced to four years jail, suspended after 161 days which had been served as pre-sentence custody.

Convictions were recorded.

Darrien James Ferris

A Mackay mine worker gouged a security guard’s eye during a scuffle.

Darrien James Ferris was at the Metropole Hotel at 1.40am on March 6 when a security guard approached and asked him to leave the premises.

When the mine worker refused to leave the hotel, the court heard he shaped up to the guard, throwing several punches.

Darrien James Ferris appeared in Mackay Magistrates Court and plead guilty to assaulting a security guard.

A scuffle ensued which resulted in Ferris dragging the guard to the ground, getting on top of him and pushing a finger into his eye.

The victim needed surgery after the assault inflamed a previous shoulder injury and he was off work for six weeks.

Ferris pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with a conviction recorded, 150 hours community service and ordered him to pay the victim $5000 compensation.

Darrien James Ferris appeared in Mackay Magistrates Court and plead guilty to assaulting a security guard.

Ferris was then offered immediate parole, with the magistrate taking into account the submissions his solicitor had made and his full time employment.

Ferris was also fined $2000 for a drink-driving charge and was disqualified from driving for 12 months, with a conviction recorded.

Michael John Kliese

A Moranbah mine trainer says a stash of MDMA at his home would only last him two weeks because he was consuming about 1g a day.

But Michael John Kliese, 37, could not argue there was no commercial intent in possessing the drug because it was in 3.4g lots (known as an eight-ball in the drug world) in six clip seal bags hidden in two kitchen cavities, the court heard.

Analysis showed he had 11.454g of pure MDMA in 17.029g of substance as well as 193g of marijuana.

Moranbah man Michael John Kliese was jailed for aggravated drug possession. Picture: Facebook

Crown prosecutor Sam O‘Rourke told the court police searched Kliese’s home on September 30, 2019, and found the large quantities of MDMA and marijuana.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said his client worked as a trainer and assessor at a mine near Moranbah.

He said he bought the drugs packaged up as described because he was in a high-paying position.

Kliese was sentenced to two years jail but was eligible for parole on February 16, 2021.

Shannon Matthew Hita

An old school friend convinced the Mackay mine worker to join a statewide methamphetamine trafficking operation, with alleged links to an outlaw motorcycle gang Finks Motorcycle Gang.

Hita, from Rural View, moved to Brisbane and pleaded guilty to trafficking, possessing more than 840g of ice, possessing Schedule 1 dangerous drugs, possessing cash suspected of being the proceeds of a drug offence, and possessing a thing used in the commission of a crime.

Between the period of November 30, 2019 – March 31, 2020, when Hita was arrested following the execution of a search warrant on his address, Hita became a bagman and courier for the operation, earning $2000 a month plus a one-off $4000 payment.

He was under instructions not to look at the packages which were being dropped off, and to remove his partner and children from the house when deliveries were being made.

Rural View man Shannon Michael Hita, was arrested for his role in a drug trafficking operation

Hita went so far as to cut the ringleader a spare key, the court heard.

On other occasions, Hita undertook extraordinary highway trips at the behest of the ringleader, ferrying people and bags as far north as Cairns and as far south as Yatala.

The court heard he was “targeted and taken advantage of” because of the “financial pressures” he was facing, and “engaged willingly” in the operation.

Police discovered five packages containing 861.2g of pure methamphetamine in Hita’s chest of drawers, with the estimated street value of the drugs totalling between $172,500-198,000.

Hita, formerly a “hardworking member of the community” who previously worked as a tiler and in the mines, was sentenced to eight years’ jail.

Convictions were recorded.

Stephen Frederick Brandenburg

A Mackay father was busted pushing drugs because his training business was failing and the bills were piling up.

Police searched Stephen Frederick Brandenburg’s car and seized 3.287kg of marijuana, $5500 in cash and a number of empty clip seal bags.

The 61 year old had been working in the mines when he seriously hurt his back in 2005, and was forced to leave the job in 2009 because of the injury.
The Mackay man pleaded guilty to four charges including trafficking and aggravated drug possession, and was jailed for three-and-a-half years, to be suspended after five months.

Convictions were recorded.

Anthony Howard Lindsay

A drug grower behind a $20 million Calen marijuana crop, linked to his father and one sister, reaped $1000 per pound in profit from the venture.

On May 8, 2019, police uncovered 8209 plants totalling about $20,222,500 at street value, as well as gardening tools, solar panels, irrigation and water pumps used for production at the Calen property.

Almost eight kilograms of marijuana along with cryovac material and $7080 cash were found.

This was the second time Anthony Howard Lindsay has been convicted for producing dangerous drugs.

Anthony Howard Lindsay was sentenced to 6.5 years in jail for his role in a multimillion-dollar marijuana crop at Calen. Picture: Peter Holt

The court heard Lindsay was previously convicted in the supreme court in May 2014, along with his father, with growing 1514 plants (most of which were juvenile) at a rural property.

Lindsay had few assets upon release and eventually found work on mine sites to support his wife and three children.

The 38 year old pleaded guilty in Mackay District Court to nine offences including trafficking, producing and possessing dangerous drugs and possessing cash for his role in a six-month commercial wholesale drug operation.

In May, 2020, Lindsay was jailed for six and a half years.

He will be eligible for parole in March, 2022.

Mackay man threatened to ‘hurt’ teenage girl

A Mackay man accused of molesting two sisters has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for raping one girl, but acquitted of the rape charge against the other.

He had pleaded not guilty in Mackay District Court to three counts of digital rape between December 2019 and July 2020 at Sarina and Grasstree Beach.

It was alleged the man, who was a distant relation, raped one of the girls while she was sitting on a bed in the man’s home, but stopped when his wife entered the room.

The seven-woman, five-man jury found him not guilty of rape but guilty of the lesser charge of indecent treatment of a child under 16 over this incident.

He raped her sister twice and once threatened to “hurt” her if she told anyone.

In September this year he was jailed for four-and-a-half-years concurrent with a two-year term for the indecent treatment.

No parole eligibility date was set, but he will be able to apply for release after serving 50 per cent of the term including the 411 days already spent in pre sentence custody.

Simon Joseph Petith

A Central Queensland miner who tried to set Labor candidate Belinda Hassan‘s car on fire during the Federal Election campaign was sentenced to three years in jail.

The jail sentence also related to a late-night arson rampage in Blackwater while Simon Joseph Petith, 36, was drunk.

Rockhampton‘s District Court heard how Petith attempted to set alight Ms Hassan’s car on Gordon St in Mackay in May 2020.

She was in the middle of a campaign to win the seat of Dawson, which later went to the incumbent George Christensen.

He tried to light the car on fire by stuffing a plastic bag down the fuel tank line.

Petith pleaded guilty to two counts of arson, three counts of wilful damage, one count of endangering particular property by fire and one count of attempted arson.

He was sentenced to three years jail in September 2020, but in recognition of 13 months already served in pre-sentence custody, the man was released on parole immediately.

Jason Hamilton

Jason Hamilton’s appearance in Mackay Magistrates Court began with a rocky start after he called the magistrate “mate”.

Hamilton, who had served 49 days in jail, appeared via videolink in December on seven charges.

The court heard Hamilton unlawfully entered and damaged a door of a Parramatta Park share house in Cairns on October, 25, 2020.

Six days later he drove an unregistered vehicle in Nebo on a disqualified licence.

The court heard he then obstructed a police officer who was at the address and threatened to kill him.

Hamilton pleaded guilty to all charges.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer released Hamilton from jail on Friday, December 18, 2020 after time already served.

Thomas Bezuidenhout

A Mackay man caught out “double dipping” at work avoided going to jail after a magistrate found there were “exceptional features” to the case.

Thomas Bezuidenhout was working as a full-time fire technician for Chubb Fire and Safety Pty Ltd when he began what was meant to be a side hustle on his days off.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard he registered a business under his own name and began working for Moranbah North Mine.

Soon the 38 year old was invoicing for jobs he had completed during his work hours.

The court heard the jobs he completed for Moranbah North Mine should have gone through his employer.

Instead, he invoiced them directly, earning an extra $27,024.50 over 10 months.

Bezuidenhout pleaded guilty to fraud – dishonest application of property of another by an employee, between September 2019 and July 2020.

He was jailed for two years, wholly suspended for five years, and ordered to pay the $27,024.50 immediately.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Mackay and Whitsunday’s miners convicted and sentenced to jail, named