Reprieve after drug runner’s guilty plea

A CAIRNS man who crashed his motorcycle following an attempt to evade police because he had a “significant amount” of methamphetamine in his backpack has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

The Cairns Supreme Court recently heard that Lucas John Burnett, 36, came to the attention of authorities following several drug-related busts in 2015 and 2016, which included him being a “runner” for a drug syndicate.

Crown prosecutor Eddie Coker told the court Burnett’s role was receiving drugs from couriers from Sydney to North Queensland.

The court heard he became involved in the operation to fuel his own addiction.

Burnett was found in possession of various quantities of methamphetamine on separate occasions, one on January 14, 2016, after he crashed his motorcycle when trying to flee from police who had tried to intercept him for riding an unregistered motorcycle.

Police searched Burnett’s backpack and found “three significant quantities” of methamphetamine, which had a total combined gross weight of 67.131g with a total pure weight of 50.783g.

“It’s obviously a commercial possession,” Mr Coker told the court.

Appearing in the Cairns Supreme Court on Thursday, Burnett pleaded guilty to trafficking and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

Defence barrister Michael Dalton said after losing his job as a sheet metal worker in 2014, Burnett turned to drugs and “was injecting frequently”.

Justice James Henry sentenced Burnett to four years in prison for trafficking, six months in prison for one possessing charge and a conviction with no further punishment for the final charge.

He suspended the sentence for an operational period of four years due to time already served.