Brendon Kiet Bui handed a suspended sentence for large commercial drug trafficking after Ridleyton cannabis bust
An Adelaide chef caught with $150,000 of cannabis has walked free from court after his “extraordinary” efforts to turn his life around.
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A chef caught with close to 20kg of cannabis and $45,000 has dodged jail after an “extraordinary” effort to turn his life around.
Despite facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, Brendon Kiet Bui, 28, was able to walk free after his drug addiction led him to make some foolish choices.
During sentencing on Friday, the District Court police found 19.75kg of cannabis located within two large storage bags in a room at Bui’s Ridleyton home on March 13, 2021.
The cannabis was packaged in 48 individual packages, weighing approximately a pound each.
The court heard the cannabis was valued up to $150,000 if sold by the pound.
$45,000 was located in a pillowcase in the same room.
Natasha Slater, for the prosecution, previously told the court Bui had trappings of some level of wealth.
The court heard Bui owned property in Western Australia, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a car.
Bui pleaded guilty to large commercial drug trafficking.
His partner, Duong Minh Tu Doan, of Craigmore, was initially jointly charged but all charges against her were dropped.
Judge Rauf Soulio said he accepted the explanation that Bui was storing the cash and cannabis for other persons.
“You were not to benefit directly from the sale of the cannabis but rather were to be paid a relatively modest amount for storing and passing it on,” he said.
The court heard the offending happened during a period where Bui was “not thinking straight” and needed money to fund his drug addiction.
“You said you had been approached by a person in a nightclub who asked if you wanted to make extra cash,” Judge Soulio said.
“You agreed in order to continue funding your use of cocaine and your problem gambling.”
Michael Jandy, for Bui, previously told the court his client came from a background of significant hardship, as his parents were boat refugees.
“Something had to give in the life of Mr Bui and … his Achilles heel manifested primarily in drug use and drug abuse,” he said.
The court heard Bui had been working long hours as a chef at a family restaurant and hadn’t returned any positive drug tests in his four years on home detention bail.
Judge Soulio sentenced Bui to four years and two months jail, with a non-parole period of two years.
However, due to Bui’s limited criminal history, rehabilitation efforts and “extraordinary” compliance on home detention bail, the sentence was suspended on a $10,000 two year good behaviour bond.
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Originally published as Brendon Kiet Bui handed a suspended sentence for large commercial drug trafficking after Ridleyton cannabis bust
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