Alan James Manteit pleads guilty in Toowoomba Supreme Court to trafficking, supplying dangerous drugs

A convicted drug trafficker’s business was interrupted by jail but the time behind bars didn’t seem to be a deterrent after the 42-year-old returned to dealing soon after his release. See what happened here.

A 42-year-old Toowoomba man who was taken into custody for drug trafficking simply returned to his street business upon his release from jail.

Alan James Manteit had 14 pages of criminal history compiled over many years of offending which stemmed from a longstanding drug issue, Toowoomba Supreme Court was told on Wednesday.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said Manteit had “an extensive criminal history” and had been sentenced by the courts to all manner of orders which he had then breached.

Manteit pleaded guilty on Wednesday, May 10, to two separate counts of trafficking drugs which were separated by four months when he was remanded in custody.

Upon his release, however, he had returned to dealing meth, she said.

The first period of trafficking was over four months and Manteit had a large customer base of about 36 people including 17 regulars and though he mainly sold in amounts up to 3.5g, he had shown a willingness to supply in larger amounts, she said.

The extent of his trafficking came to light after police conducted two searches of his home in December 2021 and seized his phone, the court was told.

While Manteit refused to provide his PIN, for which he had subsequently been charged and sentenced, police were able to access the phone and find drug dealing messages, Ms Friedewald said.

Manteit had since spent 422 days in custody but just 323 days could be declared as time served under this sentence as he was serving out a previous jail term initially, she said.

Manteit pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking meth, six counts of supplying cannabis, and one count of possessing a mobile phone for drug activity.

His barrister Doug Wilson told the court Manteit had started using drugs at just 13 years of age and had suffered drug addiction for a long time.

The father of five was doing a substance intervention course while in custody and he hoped to find work as a car detailer in Toowoomba upon his eventual release from jail, he said.

Justice Peter Callaghan

Justice Peter Callaghan said at Manteit’s age and with his criminal history it was difficult for the court to make many allowances in sentencing.

“You have a 14-page criminal history which reads like an index to a criminal text book,” he told the 42-year-old.

Justice Callaghan sentenced Manteit to five years in jail but, declaring 323 days of pre-sentence custody as time served under that sentence, ordered he be eligible to apply for parole as from December 22, 2023.