Lewis Knack pleads guilty to supplying drugs in Maroochydore watch-house

A block layer who was placed in a Sunshine Coast police holding cell has had his secret prescription drug trade thwarted by eagle eyed watch-house officers.

Lewis Baden Knack faced Maroochydore District Court from custody on Thursday. Picture: Facebook

A Maroochydore block layer has had his secret drug deal for biscuits in a Sunshine Coast watch-house labelled “brazenly stupid or stupidly brazen”.

Maroochydore District Court heard on Thursday how Lewis Baden Knack’s supply of valium inside the police holding cells was doomed to be caught after he pleaded guilty to supplying dangerous drugs.

Judge Glen Cash said the 27-year-old was in the Maroochydore watch-house for other offences on January 22 this year when he was given two valium tablets as medication by police staff.

The court heard Knack spat out the two tablets and swapped or “smuggled” them in a book for a packet of biscuits.

The quasi-prison transaction of a controlled substance was easily spotted by watch-house officers and he was charged.

Knack pleaded guilty to one charge. Picture: Facebook

He was being held at the Maroochydore watch-house when he committed the offence in custody. Picture: Patrick Woods

Knack, who appeared in court in prison greens while in the dock, had been in custody since the doomed deal with the court being told he had served 254 days up until Thursday.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said the Maroochydore man was serving other sentences, including one he received in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on July 17.

The court previously heard Knack pleaded guilty to threatening violence along with other offences, where he was a “back up gang member” in a botched standover attempt in Maroochydore.

He was sentenced to nine months’ jail with immediate parole eligibility.

Defence barrister David Crews said the 27-year-old was born in Nambour and hoped to go back to besser block laying once he was released from jail.

Mr Crews said the Maroochydore man planned to attend a drug rehabilitation course while in custody but was still on the waiting list.

Judge Cash said Knack was inevitably going to be caught in his jailhouse drug deal and had a serious substance problem, but said it was not serious enough to warrant more jail time.

Knack was convicted and not further punished. 

Originally published as Lewis Knack pleads guilty to supplying drugs in Maroochydore watch-house