Daniel James Vane supplied drugs to work off a debt to his brother

The 21-year-old breathed an audible sigh of relief when the judge told him “you’re not going to jail today”.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to supplying meth and cannabis over a two-month period in Toowoomba.

A 24-year-old man who paid off a debt to his brother by supplying drugs to others for him has narrowly avoided actual jail time.

Daniel James Vane’s family in the public gallery of Toowoomba District Court let out a clearly audible sigh of relief when Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren told him: “You’re not going to jail today”.

“Oh, thank you, Your Honour, thank you, Your Honour,” an obviously relieved Vane said from the court dock.

Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court Vane had over a period in April and May 2020 supplied the drugs on six occasions.

That included supplying a total 10.5g of meth and 1lb 2oz (510g) of cannabis, Ms Petrie said.

Ms Petrie told the court Vane’s final supply of 1.5g of meth had been done after his house was searched by police leading to the majority of charges.

Vane had a limited but relevant criminal history which included nine entries mostly for drug offences and breaching court orders, she told the court.

However, there was one count of assault occasioning bodily harm sentence from the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on May 4, 2018, arising from Vane assaulting a nurse a the hospital mental health ward that left the victim with a broken jaw that required surgery, she said.

The defendant had mental health issues due to drug use and he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Ms Petrie said.

Vane pleaded guilty to six counts of supplying a dangerous drug and to one of possessing a dangerous drug.

His barrister Jessica Goldie, instructed by Brad Skuse of Skuse Graham Lawyers, told the court that, to his credit, Vane had been on bail for almost two years without reoffending.

Her client’s mental health problems gave rise to the offending which also stemmed from a debt he owed his brother and her client’s benefit from the offending was “negligible”, she said.

Judge Horneman-Wren noted by the material put before him it appeared Vane had been given $50 from a sale of drugs worth $3300 and another $100 from a $1400 transaction.

Judge Horneman-Wren said there was little to gain by jailing Vane.

“If I sent you to jail today it would probably do more harm than good,” he told him.

Judge Horneman-Wren sentenced Vane to 15 months in jail. However, he ordered he be released immediately on parole.