This drug dealer just didn’t learn

A YOUNG man caught trafficking “ice” while on bail for trafficking ice has been jailed for five years.

Todd Alexander John Skinner was just 20 and 21 when he dealt the drug in the Texas area over an eight-month period from June 2014, Toowoomba Supreme Court heard.

His offending came to light when a police search of his home found drug items and his mobile phone data was downloaded showing a number of drug deals, Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso told the court.

Skinner made full admissions to police and was released on bail.

However, within 12 months he had resumed trafficking the drug with escalating effect, Ms Kelso said.

Skinner had been addicted to ice at the time and he had used the proceeds to feed his own habit but had also used some money to fix up his car.

He pleaded guilty to both counts of trafficking and to nine counts of supplying it.

The father of two had started using the drug for pain relief after he suffered third degree burns in a kitchen fire when he was 19.

He became addicted and ended up using the drug daily, the court heard.

Justice Martin Burns noted Skinner had been prosecuted on the first trafficking charge by his own admissions and for that he had to be shown “special leniency”.

However, the second lot of offending was very serious, he said.

Skinner was sentenced to five years in jail with a recommendation he be eligible to apply for release on parole as of November 12 next year.