COURT WRAP: Sparkie collected $19k in drug cash, Veteran drink driving blunder, woman’s divine defence

From a meth-addicted butcher collecting cash for a jailed drug dealer to a woman who called on God as her lawyer, here’s what unfolded in a Townsville courtroom.

A former drug-addicted butcher, an army veteran and a religious woman all fronted a Townsville courtroom this week.

A former drug-addicted butcher who organised cash pick-ups over the prison phone system, an army veteran who crashed outside a school while nearly three times the legal alcohol limit and a woman who quoted the bible in court are among those who have appeared in a Townsville court recently.

Methed-up butcher collects $19k for jailed dealer

An electrician who was addicted to meth collected $19,000 in cash for a jailed drug dealer, arranging pick-ups via prison phone calls.

Gary Blennerhassett appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court after arranging cash pick-ups via prison phone calls.

Blennerhassett collected money from 12 different addresses and delivered it to the dealer’s brother, the court heard.

It was sad in court that Blennerhassett’s butcher shop was going “somewhat sidewards”.

Defence lawyer Michael Hibble said in December 2023, his client was struggling with methamphetamine use and that his butcher shop was “going somewhat sidewards.”

“He was simply collecting the money, the benefit wasn’t for himself,” Hibble said.

Mr Hibble said the father of two had since entered rehabilitation, spending four weeks in an in-house treatment facility.

Magistrate Cathy McLennan described the amount of money involved as “an enormous amount of money.”

The court heard Blennerhassett had no prior criminal history.

Blennerhassett pleaded guilty to one count of possessing property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence under the Drugs Misuse Act.

He was fined $3,000, and no conviction was recorded.

Drunk army veteran crashes into school zone sign

An Army veteran who dedicated over two decades of his life to the Australian Defence Force crashed into a school zone sign while he was nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Warren Scott Douglas appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday after he crashed out the front of Kirwan State High School.

Police prosecutor Trevaskis said at 2am on February 6 this year, police breath-tested Douglas after he crashed into an electronic 40km school zone sign and two light poles.

A later sample which was taken at Townsville University Hospital recorded a blood-alcohol content of 0.19 per cent.

Warren Scott Douglas crashed out the front of Kirwan State High School.

Douglas was represented by Anderson Telford, from Anderson Telford lawyers and was supported in court by his wife of 27 years.

The court was told he first enlisted in the Australian infantry when he was 19 and did two deployments to East Timor and one to Iraq.

“Those experiences on those tours did leave some lasting impressions on him,” Mr Telford said.

He eventually left the infantry and became a medic and later a nurse until he formally discharged in 2018.

Mr Telford said Douglas would turn to alcohol use in times of stress and frustration.

Magistrate McLennan said this should serve as a “major wakeup call” and he should seek support.

Douglas pleaded guilty to one count of driving under the influence.

He was fined $700 and disqualified his license for six months.

Magistrate suggests a mental health assessment after woman calls on god as her lawyer

A woman did laps of the courtroom seats while waiting for her matter to be heard and then quotes scripture from the bible as her defence.

A woman by the last name of Johnson, who was not listed to be heard on Monday, fronted court for a breach of probation and a community service order.

When asked if she had gained legal advice since her appearance last week, she told Magistrate McLennan that the lord was her legal advice.

A woman quoted from the bible as part of her defence.

“You’re going to need to get some legal advice but if the Lord is your legal advice then what the lord says in the bible is that you must follow the laws of the land,” Magistrate McLennan said.

Johnson rebutted and said “the lord says in the bible, judge and be judged”.

Magistrate McLennan suggested ordering a mental health assessment but Johnson insisted “there is nothing wrong with me”.

The matter was adjourned to July 21 for Johnson to receive some legal advice.

Originally published as COURT WRAP: Sparkie collected $19k in drug cash, Veteran drink driving blunder, woman’s divine defence