Six months in jail deemed time enough for Toowoomba teen

THE 19-year-old appeared via video link from the prison to plead guilty before Toowoomba District Court to seven offences.

Six months behind bars was deemed time enough for the Toowoomba teenager.

SIX months in jail was deemed time enough behind bars for a Toowoomba teenager released on a probation order.

Axel Glen Ferris appeared by video link from the prison where he had spent 182 days to plead guilty before Toowoomba District Court to seven drug related offences.

Those offences included supplying 7g of cannabis to another person on December 12, then supplying the same person 14g of the same drug on Christmas Day last year; and to supplying another person with 7g of cannabis on January 5, the court heard.

He had also broken into the flat shared by his brother and his brother's girlfriend some time between January 21 and February 10 and stolen clothing and jewellery, Crown prosecutor Alysha Ballantyne said.

The 19-year-old's fingerprint was found at the scene, she said.

A police search of the teenager's Toowoomba residence on January 10 had found 4g of cannabis and a small amount of methamphetamine, the court heard.

However, Ferris was eventually taken into custody on March 18, the day after he was placed on probation by the Magistrates Court, after he became involved in a drug deal gone wrong between two other men.

Ms Ballantyne said Ferris and a co-offender had gone around to the third man's place armed with baseball bats and while the co-accused called to the complainant from the front door, Ferris had gone around to the back door.

However, police called to the scene arrested the teenager before any further offending.

Defence barrister Shane MacDonald told the court his client had endured a difficult childhood and eventually ended up on illicit drugs.

Mr MacDonald submitted a prison/probation order might be good for the teen.

Judge Tony Rafter SC agreed and sentenced Ferris to the 182 days in jail he had already served and placed him on 18 months probation.

Originally published as Six months in jail deemed time enough for Toowoomba teen