Soldier’s trafficking ends in 3 ½ years jail

A FORMER Townsville soldier jailed for trafficking drugs yesterday claimed there had been a culture of social drug use among troops at the time of his offending.

Brodie Jamieson Dunlop, 23, was sentenced to 3 ½ years jail yesterday for his part in trafficking methamphetamine ( ice) and MDMA ( ecstasy).

The Townsville Supreme Court heard Dunlop trained at the Wagga Wagga army base in 2013 before being transferred to Townsville in March 2014 to begin as an administration clerk with 3RAR.

Within months of arriving, the then 21- year- old was busted and faced 26 serious offences including drug trafficking, possession of a dangerous drug, and possession of property obtained from trafficking.

During a police raid in November 2015, officers found $ 6530 cash under Dunlop’s mattress as well as scales and utensils for drugs use.

Crown prosecutor Will Slack said Dunlop had also employed advanced technology to cover up the crime.

Police found an encryption program had been used to distort and delete some messages on the defendant’s phone.

“The defendant was trafficking in MDMA and methamphetamine over 12 ½ months and it appears he trafficked via mobile phone and iPad,” Mr Slack said.

Defence counsel Harvey Walters said his client had fallen in with a bad crowd when he arrived in Townsville.

“My client is very disappointed that he threw away a career in the army,” Mr Walters said.

Mr Walters said his client was suspended from the army when the charges first arose and was discharged on February 8 last year but had found employment in an IT role at a South Australian telecommunications company.

In sentencing, Justice David North said he took into account the defendant’s age, lack of previous convictions and general good character.

He ruled a 3 ½ - year jail term be suspended after six months.

Dunlop’s parents and other family members sat quietly throughout the sentencing, but cried and hugged their son before he was taken away.