Hardship reduces dealer’s jail time

A COUPLE used the dark web and cryptocurrency to buy drugs as part of a trafficking operation, a court has heard.

Ayden James Harrington, 23, faced the Supreme Court in Townsville on Tuesday to be sentenced for trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime and 16 counts of supplying a dangerous drug.

Harrington, who has spinal injuries from a motorcycle accident and uses a wheelchair, was sentenced to three years’ jail, with a parole date after three months on June 20.

The court was told Harrington and his girlfriend and carer Georgie- Ann Kay Bethel used Bitcoin and dark web facilities to buy the drugs MDMA and cannabis for another man’s trafficking business over a twomonth period in 2016.

Justice David North said the drugs were mailed to Harrington’s address and some were intercepted by police.

“Ultimately the total amount of dangerous drugs that you were liable for … came to about 80 MDMA tablets and nine pounds of hydroponic cannabis,” he said.

Bethel was jailed for two and a half years in January.

She will be eligible for parole in June after serving five months of her sentence.

Justice North ruled that a shorter period of time in custody was appropriate given Harrington’s spinal injuries and associated complications would make such a sentence “more severe”.

“Ordinarily, had it not been for this factor ... the sentence I should impose would be a head sentence … with a parole release date after you had served something like one third of the sentence,” he said.

“I mention that so that you are aware … of the significant reflection that I will pay in re- spect of the disability you suffer from and the hardship you would suffer while in custody.”

The court was told Townsville Correctional Centre would be able to accommodate Harrington on the ground floor, provide nurses and allocate a prisoner to be his carer.

Harrington was also charged with 16 counts of supplying cannabis between February and July 2016.

The court was told he was on probation at the time of seven of the supply charges.

Justice North said this suggested “a preparedness to take your chances and break the law if it suits you”.