Jack Andrew Dukes found with meth while on suspended jail term for having meth

The 28-year-old carpenter was found with more than 2g of meth while subject to suspended jail term for same thing.

A 28-year-old Dalby man caught with methylamphetamine above the 2g schedule and supplying the drug while on a suspended sentence for similar offending has been jailed.

Jack Andrew Dukes had been pulled over for a roadside breath test on September 15, 2021, when found to have meth and drug utensils, Toowoomba District Court heard on Tuesday.

Crown prosecutor Ellen Fletcher told the court police found 7.4g of substance of which 5.289g was pure meth, well above the 2g schedule.

His phone when analysed by police was found to contain six messages pertaining to the supply of meth to one person, she said.

At the time, Dukes was subject to a wholly suspended two-year jail term imposed by the court in March 2021 after pleading guilty to possessing meth above the 2g schedule, Ms Fletcher said.

She said the Crown accepted the drug found on this occasion was for the defendant’s own personal use.

Dukes, who had spent 17 days in custody on unrelated matters, pleaded guilty to possessing and supplying a dangerous drug.

His barrister Scott Lynch told the court the amounts of drug involved in the supplies were small and it had been the drug purchaser who had contacted Dukes.

Mr Lynch said his client instructed spending time in jail had been good for him as he had been clean of drugs, was on a good food diet and was now motivated to change his ways and he was working hard while in custody so as not to return there.

His client was a qualified carpenter and had a lot of potential to be a valued member of society and he enjoyed good family support, many of whom were in court for the sentence hearing, he said.

Justice Peter Callaghan

Justice Peter Callaghan said Dukes’ case demonstrated the destructive effect of meth use.

“Because of your addiction you couldn’t help yourself and kept offending,” he told Dukes.

Justice Callaghan sentenced Dukes to two and a half years in jail, activated in full the two-year suspended jail term to be served concurrently, but ordered he be released on parole as of March 7, 2024.