Benjamin Lawrence Griffiths: Pimpama meth trafficker jailed for five years

A Gold Coast man from a good family was already in trouble with the law – but a mistake that led cops right to his door opened up a whole new world of legal pain for him, a court has heard.

Pimpama man Benjamin Lawrence Griffiths led police right to his door when he took weapons to Pimpama Police Station as he reported for bail. Picture: Nigel Hallett

A Gold Coast methamphetamine trafficker led cops right to his door after he took weapons to a police station while reporting for bail, a court has heard.

Pimpama man Benjamin Lawrence Griffiths, in his mid-thirties, appeared in Brisbane Supreme Court on February 21 for a sentencing hearing on 21 charges, according to a recently published judgment by Justice Michael Copley.

Griffiths, a father of one aged 32–33 at the time of the offending, pleaded guilty to all 21 charges, most seriously trafficking in dangerous drugs, two counts of possessing methamphetamine in excess of 2g, possessing and manufacturing weapons, and unlawfully supplying a category H (handgun) weapon.

The defendant first came to police attention regarding the current matters on March 14, 2022, when officers pulled him over at Bahrs Scrub for speeding.

Griffiths appeared in the Brisbane Supreme Court on February 21, 2025. Picture: File

Their interest was piqued when they saw a knife attached to his belt and a strange metal object protruding from his bag, revealed to be a flare gun.

He was advised he would be searched but fled, disposing of a black case as he ran.

Police caught up with him and discovered the case, containing a smoking pipe and 9.8g of meth (purity 76 per cent, worth $4900), plus shotgun shells in Griffiths’ pocket.

He was also in possession of a partially constructed homemade 12-gauge shotgun, and .22-calibre bullets.

According to Justice Copley, Griffiths was granted bail, but found himself in hot water on January 23, 2023, when he inexplicably took a knife to Pimpama Police Station to report for bail.

A search of his car at the station uncovered another illicit weapon, a telescopic baton, which led police to execute a search warrant at his Pimpama residence.

There, they discovered 3.4g of meth across six clipseal bags, 0.6g of MDMA, glass pipes, a flick knife, a loaded homemade revolver, an unloaded single-shot homemade firearm, numerous firearm parts both purchased and homemade, $8000 cash, .22-calibre bullets, notebooks containing information on the manufacture of weapons, and a whiteboard containing names and debts of 14 customers related to a drug trafficking operation.

Analysis of Griffiths’ phone uncovered evidence Griffiths had trafficked in meth between May 1, 2022–January 24, 2023, supplied a category H weapon on December 22, 2022, and supplied cocaine, MDMA, and novocaine on various dates.

He was remanded in pre-sentence custody until July 20, 2023, a period of 179 days, before being released on bail again, pending sentence.

The court was told Griffiths’ criminal history consisted mostly of minor drug offending, but for convictions in the Beenleigh District Court in November 2019 for violent offences including domestic violence choking, for which he served actual time as part of a three-year head sentence.

Justice Copley said it was “surprising” Griffiths’ life had gone so far off the rails in light of his unexceptional upbringing as the eldest son of a professional golfer and a psychologist.

Justice Copley found since his release on bail in July 2023, Griffiths had done multiple rehabilitative courses and found steady work, although that would now cease as a result of the custodial sentence.

Griffiths was sentenced to five years’ jail, to be suspended after serving half, for an operational period of five years.

Originally published as Benjamin Lawrence Griffiths: Pimpama meth trafficker jailed for five years