Young trafficker avoids jail

‘Not entirely sorry’ for selling drugs at nightclub

A YOUNG man who trafficked and sold drugs at a Launceston nightclub has avoided jail time, despite Justice Robert Pearce’s belief he was “not entirely sorry” for what he did.

Dylan Adam Traill-Barwick, 23, was sentenced in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance.

He had also pleaded guilty to associated minor offences in the Launceston Magistrates Court, including possession of, selling and using drugs.

Justice Pearce said security staff at Launceston’s Lonnies Niteclub saw Traill-Barwick with a snap-lock bag of capsules, evicted him from the venue and notified police.

The bag contained 33 capsules of the drug MDA, with a street value of $825.

Police also found $580 cash on Traill-Barwick, and a list in his phone of people who owed him money for drugs.

Justice Pearce said he “lied to police at first” and told them he had found the bag of drugs and tried to downplay messages on his phone as “meaningless”.

He said Traill-Barwick was 21 at the time of the offence and was selling drugs to fund his own use.

“My impression is you are not entirely sorry for what you did,” Justice Pearce said.

“MDA and drugs like it have the potential to be dangerous and are the cause of much concern in the community.

“You thought what you were selling was MDMA. You were wrong.”

Justice Pearce said there could have been anything in the capsules.

He ordered Traill-Barwick to pay $2310 as part of the costs of the prosecutor to have the drugs analysed.

He ordered his phone and the $580 cash that were seized by police to be forfeited to the state.

Justice Pearce said the offence did not warrant prison time for a young person with no relevant prior convictions, but any repetition of that type of offence could land him in prison.

Justice Pearce convicted Traill-Barwick and sentenced him to serve a two-year community corrections order, including 84 hours of community service.