Joshua Aubrey David Macey busted with meth in Emerald
A man with a history of drug issues wasn’t the target during his latest drug bust, but the large amount of meth police found came as no surprise.
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A man with a history of drug issues wasn’t the target during his latest drug bust — it was the passenger in his car.
Joshua Aubrey David Macey, 32, was intercepted on Clermont Street, Emerald on May 27, 2022, for a license check, and police intelligence about his passenger led them to detain the pair and search the car, Justice Graeme Crow revealed during Macey’s recent sentencing.
He said police found a clip-seal bag of crystal substance under Macy’s seat.
Tests revealed the crystal substance weighed 13.301 grams and contained 9.885g of pure methamphetamine.
Justice Crow said despite the large amount of meth, Crown prosecution conceded it was for personal use.
Defence barrister Robert Carroll told the Supreme Court in Rockhampton on June 4 that drugs had been a major problem for his client over the years.
He said Macey, who grew up in Moree and started working at age 13, had motivation to get his life back on track when released from prison — to win sole custody of his children.
Mr Carroll said the father-of-three had previously worked on farms, and his brother had a high position at a Central Queensland mine that Macey hoped would help him secure employment.
He said Macey had been attending church service every Sunday while in custody, completed a rehabilitation course and had been working in the prison while waiting to be sentenced.
Justice Crow said Macey had a six-page Queensland criminal history, along with a New South Wales criminal history with offences from 2010 to 2017, and his traffic record included two drug driving convictions.
He said the Queensland criminal history contained six appearances in court for drugs and other offences, with the first in Emerald Magistrates Court in October 2017, where Macey was sentenced to 50 days’ prison and released on parole a month later, plus placed on probation for 12 months.
Macey has also been convicted of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and deprivation of liberty.
Justice Crow said Macey had a fairly extensive criminal record for someone his age, had served much time in prison, and his probation and parole report “isn’t complimentary” as he couldn’t be located.
Macey pleaded guilty to one count of possessing more than two grams of a schedule one drug and was sentenced to two years prison, had 244 days presentence custody declared as time already served with immediate release on parole.
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Originally published as Joshua Aubrey David Macey busted with meth in Emerald
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