Brody James Smith was jailed for eye-watering drug stash

A dealer thought silence would save him, but police have ways of getting intel without a criminal’s co-operation. If anything, his silence extended his jail sentence.

BRODY James Smith kept his mouth shut when police kicked in the door to his Toowoomba home on February 7.

But despite his silence, police found more than 53g of pure methamphetamine, 12.3g of pure MDMA and 2.23g of pure cocaine stashed under his bathroom floor boards.

Police also seized two firearms; a loaded 22 calibre handgun and a pellet pistol.

As part of the search warrant, Smith was required to hand over his phone and its password, but he refused.

He also refused to take part in an electronic interview.

But Smith’s silence did not pay off as investigators got access to his phone through his telco provider, which supplied his text messages.

With that information, police charged the 24-year-old man with a raft of drug offences, including three counts of possessing a dangerous drug over two grams.

Smith appeared the Toowoomba Supreme Court yesterday to plead guilty to all offences.

Crown Prosecutor Alysha Ballantyne told the court Smith was on parole at the time of the raids.

Ms Ballantyne added Smith had a poor record of complying with court orders and a lengthy history of drug offending, despite his young age.

In sentencing, Justice Thomas Bradley took into account Smith’s early plea and the 154 days he served in pre-sentence custody.

He ordered a head sentence of four years in jail.

Smith will be eligible for parole on April 7, 2021.