Even when warned by cops that sharing drugs was ‘supplying’, he didn’t stop

His barrister told the court that his client was a “slow learner” and it was hoped parole might teach him a lesson.

The young man was warned that sharing drugs with mates constituted the offence of supplying a dangerous drug.

By his own barrister’s concession to Toowoomba Supreme Court, Warwick man Joshua Graham Manwaring was a “slow learner”.

The then 21-year-old was driving in Warwick on January 4, last year, when he was pulled over by police for a random breath test.

Looking nervous and panicky, police suspected he had drugs in the car and a subsequent search turned up 2.631g of pure meth in 3.45g of substance, Crown prosecutor Ellen Fletcher told the court.

Manwaring volunteered to police that he had shared some of the drug with mates the weekend before prompting police to explain to him that sharing illicit drugs constituted the offence of supplying a dangerous drug under the law.

That should have been warning enough, Justice Martin Burns said.

However, three months later, police executed a search warrant at Manwaring’s home where 1g of meth was found in a clip seal bag, Ms Fletcher told the court.

Police noticed Manwaring’s computer was open and displaying Facebook messages showing drug supplies to three friends, the court heard.

Justice Burns accepted each time Manwaring was requested to supply drugs and didn’t initiate the transactions.

Manwaring, now 22, pleaded guilty to possessing a dangerous drug above the 2g schedule, supplying dangerous drugs and possessing items to supply drugs.

“He’s a slow learner,” defence barrister David Jones told the court.

“He could do with the assistance of the parole authorities.”

Justice Burns, reading from a letter provided to the court by Manwaring’s mother who was in court supporting her son, said she had noticed the deterioration in her son’s behaviour when he was using drugs and the improvement since he had stopped using.

However, in references tended to the court people spoke well of Manwaring who was also gainfully employed, Justice Burns said.

“You need to understand as a young man that you’re playing with fire,” Justice Burns warned him.

Justice Burns sentenced Manwaring to 18 months in jail but ordered he be released on immediate parole.