Drug trafficker a creature of habit
A MAN became involved in a cannabis trafficking operation while on parole for previous drug supply offences, a court has heard.
Troy Anthony Quagliata, 42, faced Townsville District Court for sentencing yesterday after a jury found him guilty of trafficking dangerous drugs and three counts of supplying dangerous drugs.
During the trial the court heard Quagliata conducted a drug business with a number of associates, including Caleb Robert Morrow and Yasmine Flavell, both of whom have already been sentenced.
The offences were uncovered in Operation Mike Zambezi, where police found plastic drums buried in bushland at Toomulla Beach and Ollera Creek, which were used to store cannabis.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate told the court Quagliata had twice breached his parole after being sentenced for previous drugs offences.
Mr Walklate said Quagliata was sentenced in November 2013 for supplying drugs in 2011 in conjunction with dealer Peter Heilbronn.
“It’s possible from the calls between Mr Heilbronn and Mr Quagliata to determine where they are discussing and in short it’s the location of drum 13,” Mr Walklate said.
“The sentence was one of 16 months’ imprisonment. The parole release date was March 8, 2014 ... the short point is that within 1 ½ months of him being released on that second period of parole he was engaged in large- scale trafficking and the large- scale trafficking was in the same location for the same drug in the same kind of quantities as he was sentenced for in 2013.”
Quagliata was supported in court by his father, brother, partner and teenage daughter.
Judge Stuart Durward sentenced him to six years’ jail for his offences.
Mr Durward said the fact that Quagliata became involved in trafficking while on parole for supplying cannabis was “a matter of significant disrespect for the courts”.
Mr Durward said while Quagliata’s family was in court to support him, “however, you should realise you’ve done nothing personally in respect of the conduct for which you’re here to really deserve that support”.
“You should be ashamed of what your family ... must endure through the significant term of imprisonment I’m going to impose,” he said.
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF WHAT YOUR FAMILY ... MUST ENDURE THROUGH THE SIGNIFICANT TERM OF IMPRISONMENT I’M GOING TO IMPOSE. JUDGE STUART DURWARD