Jail cell then back to NZ

A MAN will spend at least a year behind bars before likely being kicked out of the country after his ice trafficking business was exposed.

Paul Tarrant Steele was sentenced in Townsville Supreme Court yesterday after pleading guilty to trafficking methylamphetamine.

Steele also pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing a dangerous drug, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime and possessing property obtained from trafficking drugs.

Crown prosecutor Sally Dreghorn said police found small quantities of ice, ecstasy, cannabis and ketamine when they raided Steele’s home on December 18, 2016.

Ms Dreghorn said more than $ 2500 in cash and a mobile phone were also seized.

“When asked why only a small quantity of drugs were found, he told police it was a bad time and he’d run out,” Ms Dreghorn said.

“A concerning feature was he used mobile phones in other people’s names to avoid detection … admitted to using encryption … and deleting messages.”

The court heard Steele was able to pay for rent, his living expenses and even send money to his mother overseas off his drug trade, which was described as “street level”.

The prosecution said police found evidence on the phone suggesting Steele had 18 drug customers but he admitted to having only 10. Aside from this inconsistency, the court heard Steele was unusually co- operative with officers.

His barrister Harvey Walters said Steele even admitted to be trafficking for a period of 12 months, considerably longer than what police could ascertain from their evidence.

“This case is remarkable in terms of the co- operation and honesty of this man,” Walters said.

“He instructs he began to sell drugs to obtain his own drugs that he was using. He was ‘ shouted’ some methylamphetamine by a friend and he became addicted very rapidly.”

Steele was born in New Zea- land and moved to Australia in 2011; Mr Walters said his client understood he would most likely be extradited to New Zealand upon his release from prison.

Justice David North said he took into account Steele’s cooperation with police and signs of rehabilitation when sentencing him to four years imprisonment.

Justice North set a parole eligibility date for 15 June, 2019.