DRUG DEALER FINED
Guilty plea pays off
A NIGHTCLUB drug dealer has walked from court with a fine after providing MDMA to a woman who was later rushed to hospital with a suspected overdose.
Warwick Campbell was yesterday slapped with a $2000 fine after pleading guilty at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court to drug trafficking and possession charges.
The court heard police busted the 24-year-old while he was a patron at Home House nightclub on April 19 this year.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Alex Good said police patrolling the Moorabool St venue initially spotted Campbell carrying something in his fist.
But when they motioned for him to stop, the Charlemont man fled down a staircase and raced outside, before he was seen placing his hands down his pants.
Officers eventually caught up to him and found he was carrying $280 cash and a blue pill, which he said was Viagra.
Police also uncovered a GHB container and syringe plunger in the front of his pants.
While talking to Campbell, officers were approached by a female who informed them the V/Line maintenance worker had earlier given two MDMA capsules to another woman.
The court heard that woman was taken to hospital by ambulance where she was treated for a suspected overdose.
Campbell denied trafficking the drug before spending four days in the police cells, until a court granted him bail.
Defence lawyer Adrian Paull said his client lived at home with his family, including a younger sister.
Mr Paull said Campbell had been given time to think about his actions, with the dealer later drawing parallels with his sibling and the woman he provided drugs at the nightclub.
“It has had the deterrent effect (on him),” Mr Paull said.
The court heard it was not Campbell’s first run-in with authorities, with his rap sheet including a corrections order imposed in 2014 for recklessly causing injury.
Magistrate Peter Mellas fined and convicted Campbell after taking into account his early guilty plea and time spent in custody.