Paul Francis Henningsen pleads guilty to trafficking in cannabis

An agricultural business owner who was hit hard by the 2019 drought turned to selling cannabis to support his family, clearing thousands of dollars in profits until the police came knocking.

Paul Francis Henningsen pleads guilty to trafficking in cannabis

Paul Francis Henningsen had done the maths.

He purchased six pounds of cannabis for about $14,000 and if he sold it all in ounces he would have cleared about $10,000 in pure profit.

It was more than enough money to support his family and supplement his struggling agricultural contracting business, but the police had other ideas.

They raided the Darling Downs man’s home on November 28, 2019 seizing the cannabis and charging him with trafficking, two counts of possessing dangerous drugs over 500 grams and several lesser drug offences.

On Monday Henningsen appeared in the Toowoomba District Court to plead guilty to the charges.

The court heard the 46-year-old man had a lengthy criminal history that saw him regularly before the courts in the 1990s and 2000s.

This culminated in him pleading guilty to producing cannabis after his business suffered in the 2011 floods.

Crown Prosecutor Nicole Friedwald said Henningsen’s most recent trafficking period ran for seven months in 2019.

The court heard police searched Henningsen’s home on May 1, 2019 where they recovered 11 pounds of cannabis, although he was not home.

“He was not charged, but he was aware of the search and despite that knowledge he continued his trafficking business,” she said.

Ms Friedwald said police returned to Henningsen’s home in November of the same year, seized more cannabis and arrested him.

She told the court Friedwald did not smoke the drugs.

“Rather he was selling it to support his business that was suffering due to the drought,” she said.

“There is certainly a wholesale aspect to the business.

“He made admissions to the police and this was confirmed by data stored on his phone, with messages stating that he suspects his customers were onselling the product.”

For the defence, barrister Scott Lynch said Henningsen was a hardworking man who supported his children and those of his ex-wife.

Mr Lynch added that his client steered friends and family away from hard drugs.

“He has in the past he has employed many people who are users of illicit substances, he picks them up and takes them to do an honest day’s work,” he said.

In sentencing, Justice Dennis Lynch said Henningsen had earned a jail sentence.

“Your dealing was above the street level,” he said.

“You were dealing in large quantities for significant sums of money.”

Justice Lynch noted Henningsen’s early plea, his co-operation with the police and his remorse in ordering a head sentence of three years in jail with immediate parole.

“You have two strikes,” he said.

“I would not like to be in your shoes if you come back for a third,” he said.