Hobart man uncovered as dealer through raid of mum’s house sentenced

A man who had over $340K of drugs, a cannabis grow house and firearms seized from his home address – and his mother’s – won’t see jail after being sentenced. The latest.

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A Hobart man at the centre of a police raid on his mother’s home where four firearms, a cannabis grow house and various drugs with an approximate street value of over $330,000 has been given almost two years home detention.

Lachlan Jay William Farah, 25, previously pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in controlled substances between May 2020 and May 2022, with a number of firearms and drug offences also included in his sentencing by Supreme Court of Tasmania Justice Stephen Estcourt.

The Honourable Justice Helen Wood and Chief Justice The Honourable Alan Blow AO, The Honourable Stephen Estcourt AM. Ceremonial sitting for the 200 year anniversary of the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmania Police executed a drug-related search warrant on May 26, 2022 at Farah’s home, also occupied by his mother, who is not suggested to have engaged in any wrongdoing.

Several items were found in his bedroom, including three shotguns, a rifle, 256 ammunition rounds, over $7000 cash, drug paraphernalia and various drugs, including almost 3kg of cannabis and 58g cocaine.

In a small shed at the rear of the home, police also located a hydroponic tent with four cannabis plants inside.

The prosecution asserted that Farah ran a trafficking business in six separate drugs over the two years between May 2020 and May 2022, mainly operating in Hobart with occasional deliveries to Launceston and Devonport.

Various drugs were found in the raid on Farah’s home address. Picture: File photo

The prosecution also struggled to quantify the financial value of the trafficking business but said depending on how the drugs were sold, potential income could range from $21,000 to $338,570 for the cannabis and around $4050 for the cocaine.

The court heard that Farah struggled with his own addiction to cannabis, but Justice Estcourt said his ‘positive engagement’ with drug rehabilitation courses following his charges meant home detention was an “appropriate” sentence.

“While I accept the State’s sentencing submissions, I am persuaded that the defendant’s age at the time of the offending and his self-motivated rehabilitation render it appropriate to make a home detention order,” he said.

Farah was sentenced to 18 months home detention and ordered to forfeit his firearms and cash found during the raid, as well as pay $1,182.00 in drug analysis fees.