David Andrew Weribone had dealt drugs in St George for six months
The 52-year-old had spent 404 days in custody before he was sentenced in the Toowoomba Supreme Court.
Police & Courts
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A 52-YEAR-OLD man who trafficked drugs in the southwest town of St George on a daily basis for more than four months will spend the next three years under the strict supervision of parole.
David Andrew Weribone had supplied methylamphetamine to a customer base of about 20 from June to December 2019, Toowoomba Supreme Court was told.
Crown prosecutor Nigel Rees told the court Weribone’s drug dealing was generally at “street level” but it had been with some persistence.
“It was a persistent business which only ceased when he was remanded in custody,” he said.
Mr Rees said Weribone’s 10-page criminal history was “littered” with drug offences and at times during the trafficking period Weribone was on parole, bail and/or a suspended sentence.
Weribone had spent a total 404 days in pre-sentence custody since his arrest after being taken back into custody regularly for breaching court orders.
He pleaded guilty to trafficking, four counts of supplying a dangerous drug and to one of possessing a “thing” used to supply a drug.
His barrister Scott Lynch told the court Weribone had only been released from custody after his most recent stint the day before he turned up to be sentenced in the Supreme Court for trafficking.
“He was released yesterday after 70 days (in custody) but turned up today for sentence,” he said.
Mr Lynch said, unusually, his client’s first drug conviction hadn’t been until he was 32 but his drug offending since then intensified and his sentences increased.
However, his client subjected himself to drug screening at his own expense and he had a job to go to, Mr Lynch said.
Justice David Boddice said, ordinarily, Weribone would have been looking at a sentence of four to four and half years in prison but the 404 days of pre-sentence custody had to be taken into account.
For the trafficking, Justice Boddice sentenced Weribone to three years in jail but ordered he be released immediately on parole.
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