Warwick drug dealers: Residents busted selling ice, weed or speed
From a mother of seven busted selling ice and marijuana to a ‘talented sportsman’ who turned to meth after a break-up, the people busted for drug dealing in Warwick on more than 150 collective occasions can be revealed. Full list:
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Warwick parents and promising athletes are among those who have busted dealing dangerous drugs within our small community, with some offenders even targeting children.
As dangerous drugs continue to be a scourge on our community, the Daily News has compiled a list of those who have been sentenced for supplying meth, speed or weed in Warwick.
Aiden Lee McKell
Warwick dad-to-be caught running $5000-a-day drug ring
Aiden Lee McKell has narrowly avoided jail time despite police uncovering his hefty drug trafficking operation.
Between September 23 and November 7 last year text messages revealed the 28-year-old was selling marijuana daily for up to $4700 per sale.
The Warwick District Court heard McKell sold drug amounts ranging from 1g to almost half a kilo.
He was paid by both cash and credit card by his 30-strong customer base and organised transactions through Facebook.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said McKell’s was so confident in his business he was prepared to negotiate prices with customers.
McKell pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking a dangerous drug.
He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail but was released on immediate parole.
Monique Sarah Deighton
Warwick mum jailed for trafficking meth and marijuana
Monique Sarah Deighton had a customer base of at least 66 drug buyers in the Rose City community, selling marijuana and meth.
The 38-year-old had been selling the drugs during a seven month period from March to October 2019.
The court heard that she also continued to offer drugs while on bail after her arrest for trafficking, which only compounded to her offending.
Deighton pleaded guilty to selling the drugs and was jailed for five years but will be eligible for parole on May 3 2022 having served a total of 18 months in custody.
Travis Lloyd Laurie
Warwick man trafficking and supplying drugs in the Rose City
Travis Lloyd Laurie was just 20-years-old when he trafficked meth and marijuana in early 2017.
During a police search of his home police found text messages on his phone relating to the supply of “green” (marijuana), “salt” (amphetamine) and “rock” (amphetamine).
He was sentenced in 2020 to four years’ jail, wholly suspended for four years and he was placed on the maximum three years’ probation.
Sandra Lee Howard
Meth-dealing Warwick mum avoids jail stint
Sandra Lee Howard dealt varying amounts of meth on 10 separate occasions, which racked up a street value of $1925.
The mother-of-three admitted to all 16 offences when questioned by police, each of which took place over the same 12-day period from October 16 to October 28, 2019.
The judge told Howard how she, as a 40-year-old woman, “should know better” than to deal drugs, even if it was to feed her own meth addiction.
She pleaded guilty in the Warwick District Court to 14 counts of supplying meth, one of supplying marijuana, one of possessing drug utensils, and another two summary charges of possessing drug paraphernalia and failing to dispose of a syringe.
Howard was sentenced to 18 months’ jail but released on immediate parole.
Joshua Graham Manwaring
21yo drug supplier claims he is a ‘slow learner’
Joshua Graham Manwaring looked nervous and panicky when he was pulled over by police last year for a random breath test.
A search of his car turned up 2.631g of pure meth.
The court heard that the 21-year-old Warwick man shared some of the drugs with his mates that weekend, before police explained that sharing illicit drugs was a supplying drug offence.
Months later during a search of Manwaring’s computer, police found Facebook messages showing drug supplies to three friends.
Defence barrister David Jones told the court the 21-year-old was a “slow learner”.
Manwaring, now 22, pleaded guilty to possessing a dangerous drug above the 2g schedule, supplying dangerous drugs and possessing items to supply drugs.
The Warwick man was sentenced to 18 months in jail but released on immediate parole.
Shane Francis Dachs
Drug-dealing father of five earns jail time
A Southern Downs man who turned to dealing ice and weed to feed his own addiction was slapped with a three-year jail sentence.
The Warwick District Court heard Shane Francis Dachs sold personal and commercial amounts of meth and marijuana on a number of different occasions during 2018 and 2019.
The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to 21 counts of supplying dangerous drugs, two counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one count of possessing an item used in supplying drugs.
He was sentenced to three years‘ jail and was eligible for parole after serving one year. With time already served taken into account he was eligible for release one month after his sentence.
Adrian Charles Dylan Thorne
Dad told to wake up and choose kids over drugs
A Warwick father was told to choose between dealing drugs and his responsibility to his children, after pleading guilty to supplying marijuana.
A police raid at Adrian Charles Dylan Thorne’s Warwick home in December uncovered a homemade taser, pocketknife with a concealed blade and a bong.
Police prosecutor Ken Wiggan told the Warwick Magistrates Court the 26-year-old admitted selling marijuana to people in the Warwick and Toowoomba areas.
Acting magistrate Rob Turra said it was time for the father-of-two to “wake up to yourself” and stop fronting court for such offending.
“The problem here is you were before the court in September and the magistrate’s words should have been ringing in your ears when you committed these further offences,” he said.
“You need to decide whether you want to focus on your children and work and those things, or supplying pot and the consequences.”
Thorne pleaded guilty to supplying drugs, two counts of unlawful possession of weapons and possessing anything used in the commission of an offence. He was fined $750.
Chase Moloney-Reibelt
Man faces jail for dealing meth as teen
A Warwick man has narrowly avoided time behind bars over a whopping string of drug supply charges.
Chase Moloney-Reibelt sold party drugs including MDMA, LSD, and meth on 10 occasions in 2019 and 2020, and up to an ounce of marijuana another 11 times within the same period.
Warwick District Court was told the 20-year-old was earning up to $290 for a sale of marijuana and $25 for each capsule of MDMA.
Police caught up with Moloney-Reibelt in October last year and found him with a butterfly knife in his possession, leading to a further weapons charge.
Defence barrister Jessica Goldie said her client started using meth at 16 and began dealing to fuel his own addiction, but had engaged with drug rehabilitation services since being charged.
Moloney-Reibelt pleaded guilty to 21 counts of supplying a dangerous drug and one count of possessing a knife in a public place.
He was sentenced to jail for 12 months, wholly suspended for two years. He was also placed on a two-year probation order.
Lee Ian Popp
Meth deal lands Warwick man in court
Another Warwick man managed to walk free from court with only a fine after pleading guilty to supplying methamphetamines.
Police searched another person’s phone and found text messages linking Lee Ian Popp to a drug deal that took place in August, 2018.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said the 23-year-old had been brought before the courts repeatedly for drug offending, which left him with “minimal prospects” of rehabilitation.
The court was told Popp was introduced to marijuana at 14 and meth by the time he was 15, but had made an effort to stay clean from drugs since being released on parole in 2019,
Popp pleaded guilty to one count of supplying a dangerous drug.
He was fined $1000.
NO CONVICTION RECORDED
Jaime John Abbas
‘Promising’ footballer turns to ice after break-up
Accomplished athlete Jaime John Abbas’s destructive spiral into drug use reached new heights when Warwick police found a string of text messages on his phone exposing his dealings.
The 25-year-old footballer was busted selling ice and MDMA to friends, and also admitted to offering to sell $550 worth of ice to another friend.
The Warwick District Court heard Abbas was stopped by police in October 2020 where police found him in possession of LSD while on bail. In March this year he was again pulled over and found to be driving under the influence of meth, with a search of his car uncovering a small amount of the drug, scales and a glass pipe.
Barrister David Jones said his client came into drug offending later than most who ended up before the court, and was a talented athlete who had even played overseas before developing a serious issue with drugs.
“If he wasn’t addicted he was certainly knocking on the door of an addiction at the end of the offending,” Mr Jones said.
Mr Jones said a brutal relationship breakdown escalated issues for Abbas.
“She left and was with another man straight away and that is something he found difficult to cope with,” he said.
“He was initially offered party drugs but there is nothing about partying to do with those drugs.”
Mr Jones said a conviction could close the door on his client’s potential rugby league career forever and prevent international travel.
He asked Judge Dennis Lynch to not record one for this reason, despite Abbas pleading guilty in March 2020 to supplying and possessing dangerous drugs, where he was given that benefit.
For the latest round of offending, Abbas pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying drugs, two of possessing dangerous drugs, and one each of possessing anything used in a crime, possessing drug utensils and drug driving.
He was placed on 18 months’ probation and no conviction was recorded, with Judge Lynch warning Abbas it was up to him to change the trajectory of his life.
“I can tell you often people who supply meth to others end up going to jail - actual jail - because we all understand the damage it causes in the community. You have first-hand knowledge of the harm that drug does,” he said.
“Probation is to try to help you stay on the right path. You have potential but in the end it is going to be up to you to fulfil it.”
Nicholas Steven Billsborough
Warwick drug dealer busted twice in two months
Police raiding the home of Nicholas Steven Billsborough had zero impact on the drug dealer, who was busted twice in two months with large quantities of marijuana.
In January police found 99g of marijuana, scales, clip seal bags and an electric grinder in the 23-year-old’s Warwick home and similar drug items again in March.
The Warwick Magistrates Court heard police also seized Billsborough’s mobile phone and conducted a cellebrite download of the phone’s contents where extensive messaging using Facebook Messenger and SMS showed he was supplying marijuana.
Billsborough pleaded guilty to 10 counts of supplying dangerous drugs, two counts of drug possession and one count of possessing property suspected to be used for the purpose of committing a crime.
He was placed on 18 months probation order and no convictions were recorded.
Craig Benjamin Townsend
Man deals drugs to kids
Craig Benjamin Townsend sold marijuana on 27 separate occasions, six of which were to children below 18.
Police sprung the 26-year-old with unknown quantities of marijuana when they raided his home.
The Warwick District Court was told how the majority of the profits made from the low street-value drug, were put towards supporting the 26-year-old’s own addiction.
Townsend pleaded guilty to 21 counts of supplying a dangerous drug, six counts of supplying a dangerous drug to a minor, two counts of possessing a dangerous drug, and one count of possessing an item used in supplying a dangerous drug.
He was placed on two years‘ probation and no conviction was recorded.
Krystal-Taih Jean Weil
Warwick mum in court over dodgy drug deal with friend
A mother-of-three claims she was never repaid $150 after buying weed for her friend, despite asking several times.
In frustration for the lack of payment, Krystal-Taih Jean Weil hurled rocks at the woman’s glass sliding door causing scratch marks.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count each of supplying dangerous drugs and wilful damage.
She was fined $600 and ordered to pay restitution for the window replacement.
No conviction was recorded.
Jayden Mark Pedersen
Young Warwick man given stern order to “wake up” after peddling party drugs
A Warwick man who supplied drugs three times in just one month has been given a stern reprimand in court.
Jayden Mark Pedersen first gave an MDMA pill to a friend at a house party in February last year, and later that same month organised to supply another person with “a stick” of marijuana and more MDMA capsules.
Warwick District Court heard the 21-year-old’s crimes came to light after his friend was pulled over by police and had his mobile phone searched, revealing text messages linking Pedersen to the drug deals.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said Pedersen didn’t take payment for any of the drugs and there was no suggestion of his own drug use or any reoffending.
The Warwick man appeared in court with a clean criminal history.
Judge Suzanne Sheridan warned Pedersen his brush with the law should be a wake-up call for him.
“It’s an addictive, poisonous drug that has devastating impacts on people’s lives, and I hope you really are standing there today telling me you understand that now,” she said.
Pedersen pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a dangerous drug.
He was fined $1500 and no conviction was recorded.
More Coverage
Originally published as Warwick drug dealers: Residents busted selling ice, weed or speed
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