Topless barman Dylan John Edwards caught with extensive collection of cocaine, cannabis and steroids

A young bartender has been sentenced after he was caught with an assortment of drugs including cocaine, cannabis and steroids.

Dylan John Edwards, 27, was sentenced in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday July 1, 2024 for possession of a schedule 1 drug. Picture: File.

A topless barman caught with a bumper drug stash has faced a Toowoomba court for the second time in less than 12 months.

Hospitality worker Dylan John Edwards, 27, pleaded guilty before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday to ten charges relating to possession of dangerous drugs, drug paraphernalia and weapons.

The court was told that a police raid on his home on August 19, 2023 found that Edwards had in his possession 16.473g of pure cocaine separated into multiple clip-seal bags, seven Xanax tablets, 9.3g of cannabis, anabolic steroid tablets, a portion of testosterone and a bottle of tamoxifen citrate alongside two flip knives.

In August last year, Edwards was fined $300 for possession of 0.4gr of cocaine in a clip-seal bag, found on his person on the night of August 13, 2023; however no conviction was recorded.

Dylan Edwards was a co-owner of bartending business, The Barmen. Picture: File.

Despite the divided quantities of cocaine, no commerciality was alleged by the prosecution, with the defendant’s barrister David Jones KC submitting his client had divided the amount in an “attempt to portion control”.

Mr Jones told the court that his client had since turned his life around, moving to live with his sister in Brisbane, ceasing all drug and alcohol use, cutting ties in Toowoomba and growing his mobile bartending venture The Barmen, which offers topless services, with co-owner Jack Lee.

“Looking back Mr Edwards realises how bad it was getting but at the time he didn’t realise how dark a hole he was in,” Mr Jones said.

“The intent when he first bought the drug was for it to last up to six months but who knows whether he would have even made that amount of time without having to get more.

“This was a man in desperate need of some assistance.”

Despite both the prosecution and Mr Jones advising against imprisonment, magistrate Clare Kelly concluded the amounts were too substantial to ignore.

“In my mind it’s just a bridge too far to cross,” she said.

“I’m not convinced of the fact that a period of probation would reflect the criminality.”

Ms Kelly imposed a period of 15 months imprisonment in relation to possessing a schedule 1 dangerous drug, with an additional four months of imprisonment to be served concurrently for four charges of possessing dangerous drugs.

Mr Edwards granted immediate parole and for the remaining charges he was convicted but was not further punished.