REVEALED: Tassie’s youngest drug offenders
From growing cannabis in their parent’s backyards to smuggling ecstasy tablets in their underwear, the Mercury takes a deep dive into some of Tasmania’s youngest drug offenders who made headlines for their crimes. FULL LIST >>
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From growing cannabis in their parent’s backyards to smuggling ecstasy tablets in their underwear, Tasmania’s youngest drug offenders have gone to extreme lengths to avoid being busted.
Although young people across the state continue to get caught up in drug crime a monthly report recorded by Tasmania Police revealed that drug offending is down by a reasonable extent.
856 offenders aged 10 to 17 years made up 10% of offenders who were proceeded against in Tasmania last year with the rate of offending lower among youth compared to the state’s total offender population.
Australia wide youth offending has also decreased to the lowest in recorded history.
Illicit drug offences remain one of Australia’s top three most common offences at 20% and for many young Tasmanians who end up facing the court for these crimes, a majority of them reported stem back to rough childhoods and broken families.
Tasmania’s The Link Youth Health Service which is the lead agency for headspace Hobart and provides early intervention for young people at earlier stages of substance abuse. The Link works with Tasmania Police to help those who have been charged with minor offences through programs such as Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative (IDDI) and Tasmanian Early Intervention Program (TEIP). Seven young Tasmanians have been referred to the organisation through IDDI while five have been referred through TEIP this year.
“It’s about early intervention and prevention, hopefully helping the young person to think about what has happened and to reflect on their decisions,” said The Link’s Drug and Alcohol Worker Kaz Knights.
“They are really useful programs and the majority of young people referred under them do attend and complete the requirements.”
The Link AOD program also works with Risdon Prison and Ashley Youth Detention Centre, providing support for young people who have a history of substance abuse upon their release back into the community.
“We do a lot of work with Youth Justice Workers and whenever they are working with someone with substance abuse they will try and connect them with us.”
For those who are required to face the court for committing more significant crimes such as trafficking, authorities have been able to mandate support during sentencing.
“Young people access drug and alcohol intervention services through a range of referral pathways.” said a spokesperson from Tasmania’s Department of Communities.
“For young people in conflict with the law this can be through Tasmania Police or Community Youth Justice as a court diversionary measure.”
“Each individual has a care plan developed to ensure the most appropriate services are provided to meet their needs and fulfil obligations set by the court.”
The Mercury takes a deep dive into the young offenders who have made headlines for their involvement in Tasmania’s drug world over the past few years.
Chev Lee Deacon and Jaxson Paul Foster
Chev Lee Deacon and Jaxon Paul Foster were just 18-years-old when they tried to smuggle dozens of ecstasy pills into Marion Bay’s Fall Festival in 2018.
In December of that year Deacon asked Foster if he would take almost 100 MDMA pills into the festival in return for a $2 payment per pill.
While entering the New Years festival on December 29, Deacon was stopped by police for a drug and alcohol screening and was subsequently caught by a sniffer dog.
Deacon told police he was helping a friend bring them into the festival and dobbed Foster in.
Half an hour later, Foster’s vehicle was stopped at the festival and 99 MDMA pills were uncovered inside vacuum-sealed plastic bags within a vodka bottle.
Both young men pleaded not guilty to trafficking charges at the Launceston Magistrates Court in July 2019 before changing their pleas to guilty in October 2019.
Deacon was convicted of trafficking, fined $1400 and given a suspended three-month jail term while Foster was fined $2500 and escaped conviction.
Shaun William Thomas
At just 21-years-old Burnie man Shaun Thomas was charged with trafficking cannabis after Tasmania Police discovered the drug growing at his parent’s Wivenhoe home in March 2020. 13 cannabis plants were found inside three growing homes at the rear of the property as well as cannabis seeds, stalks and leaves throughout the family home - a total of $52,503 worth of the drug was seized.
Thomas was taken to Burnie Police Station and arrested after admitting the drugs belonged to him.
The young man told police although he started using the drug at just 10 years old it was his first time growing it and gained knowledge of the operation from the internet and locals, selling small amounts on six occasions between January and November 2019.
It was later heard in court that at the time of his offending Thomas was the full time carer of his mother who had dementia.
Acting Justice Shane Marshall told the court the now 22-year-old also suffered a chronic lung disease and that cannabis helped him with breathing and sleeping programs.
The Acting Justice also stated that the young man had been very cooperative with police and that his plants had grown higher than expected and ‘got out of control’.
“He is remorseful and has good prospects of rehabilitation,’ Justice Marshall said.
“He considers the current court proceedings to be a wake up call.”
On February 25 2021, Thomas pleaded guilty to trafficking the controlled substance and was sentenced to a 12 month jail term wholly suspended for 18 months on the condition that he didn’t commit any offence punishable by imprisonment in the next 18 months.
Blayne Alec King and Samuel Adrian Webb
Two young men were busted on trafficking charges after they were caught with hundreds of ecstasy pills at Hobart Airport in February 2019.
Blayne Alec King, 24, and Samuel Adrian Webb, 20, visited the Hobart Airport on February 23 with another man and tried to buy a ticket to Melbourne with cash.
Noticing that the three men were “acting suspiciously” airline workers called police and shortly after officers found 19 ecstasy pills in Webb’s underpants.
Crown prosecutor Anna Norton said King handed over a snap lock bag containing five pills before police found a further 224 orange and blue pills in his pocket.
Both the men pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
Justice Robert Pearce said King was overcoming some difficulty in his family and personal life at the time and had no prior convictions.
The 24-year-old was sentenced to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to do 49 hours of community service work.
Justice Gregory Geason sentenced Webb to one year’s jail, wholly suspended for three years, and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service work.
Alexandra Rose Kobelke
Former Sydney woman Alexandra Rose Kobelke was caught trying to smuggle $150,000 worth of drugs in her bra on a flight into Hobart in 2019.
Kobelke, who was 26-years-old at the time, trafficking large amounts of ice and cocaine to Tasmania over a 13-month period taking hundreds of thousands of dollars back to NSW a court heard.
The former stripper had made 13 trips between the two states, sometimes using a fake ID as a worker in a large-scale trafficking operation.
It was heard in court that Kobelke had lived an ‘unfortunate life’ and had started using drugs at just 13-years-old.
At the time of her arrest, Chief Justice Blow said, she was a daily user of cocaine.
The young woman pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance and was sentenced to tow years and eight months in jail.
She was released from prison on March 12, 2021 with the Parole Board of Tasmania noting that she had served her term “compliantly and cooperatively” working at a “high standard” as a leading hand in the kitchen and undertaking certificates in cleaning operations and salon work.
Nicholas Alan James Lawton
Nicholas Alan James Lawton was caught trying to smuggle $152,450 worth of speed and cocaine concealed in his underwear at the Hobart Airport on August 23, 2018.
Lawton was 26-years-old at the time and was stopped by police after arriving into the state on a flight from Sydney.
He was found in possession of two zip lock bags containing a total of 194.4g of speed and 110.5g of cocaine.
It was also revealed in court that Lawton had acquired a brain injury and had been using drugs since he was just 15-years-old.
The Supreme Court head that the young man had a drug debt, leading to him agreeing to act as a courier, under duress.
Lawton pleaded guilty to trafficking and was sentenced to a year in jail, backdated to take account of the time Lawton had already spent in custody, with the remainder of the sentence suspended for two years.
Nicholas Mark Stebbins
At just 26-years-old former associate of the Rebels, Nicholas Mark Stebbins, was sentenced to 12 years in jail with a minimum of seven years over his role in an $11 million amphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy ring in February 2015.
Stebbins was dubbed a key player in Tasmania's biggest drug importation ring, sourcing drugs from China in amounts of up to 1.7kg at a time which were shipped by parcel or courier into the state and sometimes paid using Bitcoin.
Seven parcels were intercepted during a joint operation by Tasmania Police, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service - the largest package containing 1.78kg of amphetamines and another containing 1kg of MDMA.
When police raided his Blackman’s Bay house they found drugs, scales, computers and mobile phones as well as a tick sheet with $40,000 worth of credit outstanding from buyers.
In 2016 the dealer lost his legal bid to reduce his drug trafficking sentence.
The court was told Stebbins was drawn into dealing after running up drug debts and had been unable to extricate himself.
Dylan Dennis Jenkins
Dylan Dennis Jenkins from Launceston narrowly avoided a stint in prison after police raided his Youngtown home and found 853 MDMA pills and almost $9000 in drug money inside his bedside drawer.
The young man who was 26-years-old and an expecting father at the time was arrested and pleaded guilty to trafficking from July 2016 to December 2017.
The Supreme Court of Tasmania heard Jenkins started using cannabis at just 16-years-old before progressing onto ‘party drugs’.
As his use escalated he began to sell the drugs to fund his own drug and gambling habits.
At the time of his sentence, Justice Robert Pearce said Jenkins was making drastic improvements to his life ahead of the arrival of his baby with his partner.
The Launceston local was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, wholly suspended, and was ordered to pay $6450 to the state.
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