Tarnah David Joseph Parata-Plant owned up to more drugs than police found

When asked if he had drugs at home, the 23-year-old told police that he had, leading to a second search and more drugs being seized.

A young drug courier’s honesty with police put him in a more serious position but it may also have saved him from serving actual jail time.

Tarnah David Joseph Parata-Plant was sitting in a car outside a house in Toowoomba about 9pm, March 26, when police approached him for a licence check and breath test.

Appearing nervous, when police asked if he had any drugs with him, the then 23-year-old said “I’m not going to lie to you” and confessed he had “MDMA (ecstasy), acid and pot” in the car, Toowoomba Supreme Court heard.

During a subsequent search of his car, police found 38g of cannabis, 2.61g of MDMA, 15 LSD tablets and two mobile phones, the PIN for which the defendant gave to police, Crown prosecutor Emily Coley told the court.

Those phones contained messages of offers of drug supplies, Ms Coley said.

Parata-Plant told police he was being paid to pick-up and drop off the drugs and that he had three drops to make that night, the court heard.

At the end of the police record of interview, Parata-Plant was asked if he had drugs at home and he said “Yes”.

A search of his home turned up another 85 LSD tablets, 176g of cannabis and more MDMA, the court heard.

Tarnah David Joseph Parata-Plant owned up to having more drugs than police found.

He told police he was unemployed and that his partner was pregnant and he had been involved in the drugs as a way to supplement his income and that he used MDMA himself, he court heard.

Parata-Plant, who had since turned 24, pleaded guilty to 16 offences including 10 counts of supplying a dangerous drug, two of possessing dangerous drugs, and one each of possessing a dangerous drug above the 2g scheduled and possessing LSD above the .0044g schedule and possessing phones for drug supply.

Ms Coley submitted the offending was serious but Parata-Plant’s co-operation was “quite high”.

His barrister David Jones told the court his client had no criminal history at all, had fully co-operated with police, entered early pleas of guilty, was still young and the fear of going to jail acted as a “strong deterrent” for him.

Parata-Plant had endured a difficult childhood and had significant mental health issues, he said.

His client’s partner had since given birth to their baby daughter and Parata-Plant had moved the family to St George where he had work, he said.

Justice Elizabeth Wilson sentenced Parata-Plant to two years in jail but ordered he be released on parole immediately.