Multiple drug offenders have their matters dealt with in region’s courts

FOUR drug offenders have found themselves before the courts for offences ranging from possession of drugs to supplying dangerous drugs.

A man who tried to slip a tobacco pouch with drugs in it to a friend as he was being taken into police custody has appeared before court.

Jayden Lee Pickering, 29, pleaded guilty in the Charters Towers Magistrates Court to possession of marijuana, possession of dimethyltryptamine, possession of cocaine and possession of a drug utensil.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Amanda Lawson said police pulled Pickering over on June 27 and saw him hand a tobacco pouch to a passenger who had been in the vehicle and was leaving on foot.

When they searched the pouch police found three separate bags — one contained green leaf matter, the second a white crystal substance and the third a dark coloured plant material.

Police also located utensils during the search including two straws used for scooping and a small brass pipe.

Magistrate Cathy Wadley fined Pickering $350 and ordered no conviction be recorded.

In another case, two clipseal bags with marijuana in them have landed a Charters Towers man in court.

Marc Samuel Stone, 32, had no criminal history when he appeared before Magistrate Cathy Wadley on a charge of possession of a dangerous drug, namely marijuana.

The court heard police saw

Stone walking in Yelland St on July 23 and stopped to speak with him.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Amanda Stone said as a result of the conversation police formed a suspicion Stone had drugs in his possession.

During a search the police found two clipseal bags of green leafy material.

Ms Wadley placed Stone on a $100 recognisance and no conviction was recorded.

Separately, a Charters Towers woman was sentenced to 18 months’ jail for supplying drugs, but has escaped actual time in jail.

Roslyn Gayle Lee, 40, pleaded guilty in the Townsville District Court to two counts of supplying marijuana and one of supplying methamphetamine, as well as a charge of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.

Judge John Coker recorded convictions on all charges.

For supplying methamphetamine, Lee was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison, which was wholly suspended for 30 months.

On the two charges of supplying marijuana she was sentenced to 12 months in prison and two months in prison for possession of the item used in the commission of a crime. Both prison sentences were suspended.

In the last case, drugs and a knife were found on a Charters Towers man who told police he was carrying the weapon for his own protection.

Gordon Antonio David Oram, 23, told police he had been carrying the knife around for protection after allegedly being threatened by unknown males.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Amanda Lawson said Oram was at the Charters Towers Watchhouse on March 9 when he declared he had the knife.

A search found the knife in his backpack.

“He said he bought (the knife) a while ago and had been (allegedly) threatened by unknown males and was carrying it for protection,” Sergeant Lawson said.

On April 28, police noticed Oram in the drain area inside the road on Vulture St.

Sgt Lawson said Oram told police he had been placing an item in an industrial bin at a business and had then jumped the fence into the drain.

The court heard a search of

Oram’s backpack revealed he had 9g of marijuana in a bag and a set of scales.

“He said he purchased the cannabis for a sum of $150. He said the cannabis in the small bags was for personal use and the cannabis in the large bag was to be divided up and sold to his friends,” Sgt Lawson said.

Oram said he was going to use the scales and the smaller bags to divide the marijuana into amounts worth $50.

Oram, who represented himself in court, said he accepted the fact of the case against him.

Ms Wadley told Oram the charges were very serious.

For possession of a weapon he was fined $200 and for the two drug offences a total $300. No convictions were recorded.