Rockhampton’s Haydn Geoffrey Kleidon trafficked MDMA, cocaine

A young man with no criminal record was selling wholesale amounts of cocaine, MDMA and marijuana in what one experienced barrister has dubbed as Queensland’s biggest drug trafficking region.

Haydn Geoffrey Kleidon.

A young man with no criminal record was selling wholesale amounts of cocaine, MDMA and marijuana in what one experience barrister has dubbed as Queensland’s biggest drug trafficking region.

Brisbane-based barrister Scott Lynch was representing Rockhampton cocaine, marijuana and MDMA trafficker Haydn Geoffrey Kleidon, 29, when he commented that the Central Region Supreme Court’s Justice Graeme Crow dealt with “very significant traffickings in this area”, “bigger than what we’ve seen in Brisbane and the Gold Coast”.

Mr Lynch further commented Central Queensland maybe a “port” for drugs and Justice Crow “has probably the market share of those massive traffickings”.

Justice Crow said the “crazy, incredibly stupid part” of Kleidon’s offending was that he went back to offending after being busted on October 18 on the Bruce Highway at Bajool with his girlfriend Peta Pearson, possessing 31.577 grams of MDMA, 20.829g of cocaine in 27.921g of substance, and 326g of marijuana along with weapons, phones and drug utensils.

Kleidon was also busted by police on various dates possessing a total of $22,650 in cash.

Bank records revealed Kleidon received $19,860 in cash deposits during the trafficking period of April 23, 2021, to November 20, 2021.

An encrypted message on one of his phones revealed Kleidon was “moving about three ounces (85 grams) a week and owed $8,000-$9,000 on tick”, Justice Crow said.

The court heard Kleidon, who had worked as sandblaster and underground miner, lost employment as a contractor at the mines during Covid, gained employment as a roofer and wound up hanging with “the wrong crowd”.

He has work lined up in underground mining at Emerald upon his release from prison.

Justice Crow warned Kleidon, who recently became a father after Ms Pearson gave birth to their son, he now had “a big target on his back”.

Kleidon pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking drugs, two of possessing more than two grams of a schedule one drug, six of possessing a dangerous drug, two of possessing anything used in connected to drugs, one of possessing more than 500g of marijuana, one of failing to provide access to electronically stored information, one of possessing tainted property, two of possessing drug utensils, two of possessing a category R weapon, one of possessing property suspected of being used in a drug offence, and one of possessing property suspected of being drug trafficking proceeds.

Justice Crow sentenced Kleidon to seven years prison, declared 570 days presentence custody as time served and set parole eligibility for February 28, 2024.

Originally published as Rockhampton’s Haydn Geoffrey Kleidon trafficked MDMA, cocaine