Tiler Ben Taylor pleads guilty to supplying meth at Coolum Beach

A Sunshine Coast tiler has been outed as a dishonest drug dealer after police found a customer complaint about a meth deal on his lost phone.

Ben John Taylor leaving Maroochydore District Court on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Turner

A Coolum Beach tiler has been outed as a dishonest drug dealer after police found a customer complaint about a meth deal on his lost phone.

When Ben John Taylor, 45, attended the police station for his misplaced mobile, he did not expect to be charged with supplying a schedule one dangerous drug.

Maroochydore District Court heard the 45-year-old admit to the charge after he pleaded guilty to the single offence on Wednesday.

Crown prosecutor Rhys Byrne said a member of the public handed Taylor’s lost phone into police after finding it on December 1, 2023, with officers combing through the device to determine whose it was.

Mr Byrne said police found messages between the Coolum Beach man and a woman about a crystal meth deal on November 21, 2023.

Taylor outside court with his Ice Break triple shot iced coffee.

The court heard the woman sent Taylor a picture of a small amount of meth on a set of scales, which weighed 0.07g.

Judge Glen Cash said the woman was complaining about buying a point, or 0.1g, and getting a bit less than what she wanted.

Taylor came to police a few days later where he admitted to supplying the drugs to the woman but said he was not paid and was only “helping her out”.

Mr Byrne said there was no evidence there was money exchanged.

The 45-year-old tiler, who represented himself in court, said he moved to the Sunshine Coast from Bankstown in Sydney about 15 years ago.

He said he also had a daughter, and looked after his father who was recently diagnosed with an illness.

Taylor was sentenced to 80 hours’ community service with no conviction recorded.

Originally published as Tiler Ben Taylor pleads guilty to supplying meth at Coolum Beach