Former volunteer firefighter Hamish Hoare, caught trafficking weed, ice
A young Toowoomba dad, who swapped his tool belt and fire hose for a life of crime, has been released from prison after pleading guilty to trafficking and dealing a range of drugs.
After spending almost a year behind bars for trafficking drugs, a former Darling Downs volunteer firefighter has been released from jail.
On Tuesday, June 4, the Toowoomba Supreme Court heard Hamish Charles Hoare, 26, largely sold cannabis but also acquired “whatever drugs he could get his hands on”, such as acid, psilocybin mushrooms, crystal meth, MDMA, and cocaine.
Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said despite being raided not once, but twice, Hoare continued to sell drugs until he was remanded in custody following a third raid in July 2023.
Ms Friedewald said between Jan 2022 and July 2023, Hoare took steps to avoid detection and sold cannabis daily to at least 67 customers, 25 of which were regulars.
The court heard the extent of the trafficking operation was largely unknown, however police located more than 6g of pure meth, more than 600g of cannabis, and about 50g of acid during the raids.
He had no criminal history in Queensland, however he was done for driving with drugs in his system NSW.
Barrister David Jones KC said the qualified mechanic came from a good family, who were shocked to their core when his meth addiction and drug dealing business came to light following his arrest.
Mr Jones said being held in pre-sentence custody for more than 300 days, was a circuit breaker for Hoare’s addiction which contributed to his offending.
He noted the former rural fire and rescue volunteer was coming to terms with a PTSD diagnosis likely stemming from his time as a first responder where he attempted at least 10 fatal crashes.
Justice Martin Burns said when released from jail, Hoare needed to see a GP to address his addiction and mental health challenges, noting he had a long journey ahead despite having an ‘excellent support structure.
At the Toowoomba Supreme Court on Tuesday, May 4, Hoare pleaded guilty to more than 20 offences including trafficking drugs, supplying drugs, possessing drugs, unlawful possession of a weapon, and explosives.
Hoare was sentenced to a three-year jail term and was granted immediate release on parole after the time he spent in pre-sentence custody was considered.
Upon his release, Hoare would be working as a truck driver for Western Truck Group, the court heard.
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Originally published as Former volunteer firefighter Hamish Hoare, caught trafficking weed, ice
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