Drug addict claims disgruntled drug user dobbed him into police

A man found with ammunition including 75 rounds of .22 calibre bullets, 14 drug pipes, 50 marijuana seeds along with drugs and other drug paraphernalia claims a disgruntled person called the police on him because he wouldn’t share his drugs.

Boyd John Harris pleaded guilty to five charges in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on September 14, 2017, including possession of MDMA, meth and cannabis, along with utensils including 14 clip seal bags, three straws, two pairs of scissors, scales and other items.

A man found with ammunition including 75 rounds of .22 calibre bullets, 14 drug pipes, 50 marijuana seeds along with drugs and other drug paraphernalia claimed a disgruntled person called the police on him because he wouldn’t share his stash.

Boyd John Harris, 64, pleaded guilty on July 13 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of contravene a police order, two counts of possessing a dangerous drug, one possessing items used in during a drug crime, one of possessing drug pipes, one possessing a syringe not safely disposed and one of illegally possessing ammunition.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said police searched Harris’ Norman Gardens residence on March 5 at 8.34am, finding the items in a shed and the defendant’s bedroom.

She said when they found his mobile phone, Harris declined to give them the pin code to unlock it, resulting in Harris being charged over contravening a police order.

Senior Constable Rowe said police found five clip-seal bags containing methamphetamines, one ceramic bowl containing 0.55 grams of marijuana, 5.26 grams of ground marijuana in a tin container, 50 marijuana seeds in a small plastic container, 14 glass smoking pipes, one brass coloured smoking pipe with burnt residue in the cone piece, a water pipe created from a glass bottle with a hose attached, two sets of small scales, two syringes, about 75 live .22 calibre bullets, one .303 round and one iPhone.

She said that inside his wallet was one clip-seal bag and inside a glasses case were four clip-seal bags containing crystal substances.

Senior Constable Rowe said there was marijuana in a blue container in the bedroom and a tin in the shed, along with the seeds in a plastic container.

She said Harris told police he smoked marijuana for pain relief and used the scales to measure his meth.

Senior Constable Rowe said Harris also told police he used the syringes to “glue things together” and thought because they were stored in a box, they were safely stored.

She said Harris told police the 14 glass pipes were his, he had made them blowing glass and used them so smoke meth.

Senior Constable Rowe said the bullets were stored in three boxes, 25 rounds per box.

She said Harris told police his father used to have a weapons licence but surrendered the firearms years ago and Harris had found the bullets and kept them in his bedroom for safe keeping.

Harris was on a suspended sentence at the time of the offending and had been sentenced over drug charges in September 2017 and May 2018.

Defence lawyer Brian McGowran said Harris’ father, who was 87 and lived with Harris, was a retired Colonel.

He said Harris kept finding the ammunition after the firearms were handed in.

Mr McGowran said Harris has a chronic spinal disc problem which started 12 months ago and was the result of a car accident.

He said his client claimed he was being prescribed other drugs to counter side effects of him taking panadeine forte so he gave the forte up.

Mr McGowran said Harris had used meth over the years and had been to Drug Arm a few times with him signing up for a second program after the last 12-week program ended.

He said Harris, who was not identified as being part of a police operation, claimed a disgruntled person, who he refused to share his drugs with, likely called police on him.

Magistrate Cameron Press said when looking at Harris’ health summary, which was provided to the court by his doctor, it showed his main problem was his addiction to drugs.

He said Harris’ doctor recommended the defendant seek help from a psychiatrist for his drug use.

Mr Press sentenced Harris to 12 months prison for possession of the meth, ordered he serve six months of the suspended sentence handed down in May 2018 which would be cumulative with the 12 months and gave him immediate parole.

He also sentenced Harris to nine months prison for contravening police order, which was wholly suspended and operational for two years.

Originally published as Drug addict claims disgruntled drug user dobbed him into police