‘Mid-life drift’ led to coke dealing

A CAIRNS DJ and cocaine dealer turned suburban sports writer has avoided jail for trafficking cocaine.

Cairns Supreme Court today heard Todd Bertran Whelan, 44, was swept up in a Cairns police operation that had targeted a syndicate including alleged dealer Matt Hilton.

Crown prosecutor Eddie Coker told the court that Whelan had allegedly bought more than $31,000 of cocaine from Mr Hilton over nine months in 2017 while working as a DJ in Cairns night clubs.

“His trafficking was never very successful,” Mr Coker said.

“He was regularly behind in his debt and paid on occasion through his wages. He was using too much cocaine himself.”

Whelan’s operation was not particularly sophisticated. He failed to weigh the product and divided the cocaine into one gram portions by eye.

“A significant amount of money had changed hands, (but) he never rose above a street-level dealer,” Mr Coker said.

Whelan pleaded guilty to drug trafficking from February to November 2017.

Anthony Kimmins, defending, told the court his client had left Cairns for his home town in Victoria to escape the drug’s grip.

Whelan had put himself through rehab and counselling eight months before his arrest last year.

“He felt too old for the DJ work and started experimenting with cocaine at 35,” Mr Kimmins said.

The court heard Whelan now worked as a sports journalist SENTENCED: Todd Whelan has avoided jail over trafficking. at Bacchus Marsh, trying to build a career as a writer, often on a voluntary basis.

Mr Kimmins asked for immediate parole release based in his client’s demonstrated rehabilitation.

Justice Jim Henry said Whelan was a bit player who skirted the edges of a police operation but had attracted enough attention to warrant surveillance.

“The music stopped and you desisted on your own volition,” Justice Henry said.

“The (psychological) report verifies something of a mid-life drift, finding the DJ life too much and using cocaine to help it along.”

He sentenced Whelan to two and a half years in jail but released him on parole.

Whelan was also $7500.

“If you don’t pay that you will serve six months in jail,” Justice Henry said. fined

editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost