Cocaine builder crying in court
Judge spares dad jail time despite dealing
A high-flying construction company owner who sobbed in court after he admitted trafficking in cocaine to his friends, colleagues and associates has walked free on a suspended sentence.
Dustin William Rodway, a father of two from Pacific Pines on the Gold Coast, faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday before Justice Melanie Hindman who said he had profited about $1000 a week trafficking cocaine to friends, colleagues and associates.
Rodway, who says he is managing director at Molendinarbased Finway Group on his Linkedin profile, faced up to 25 years for trafficking but Justice Hindman sentenced him to three-and-a-half years jail, wholly suspended for fourand-a-half years.
She gave him shorter sentences for the lesser supply and other charges but ordered they be served concurrently.
She said he had provided significant co-operation to police.
The now 34-year-old pleaded guilty to 20 drug-related charges including trafficking in cocaine at street level between October 2021 to January 2022 and supplying drugs from August 2020 to July 2021.
The court heard that Rodway’s wife and two young kids were at home when police raided it in January 2022 and found more than 7g of cocaine as well as an amount of steroid-like drugs, mobile phones, scales and clipseal bags. Rodway’s family is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Police analysed his two phones and found he had supplied drugs on six occasions from August 2020 to July 2021 and he admitted trafficking in cocaine to police.
Prosecutor Farook Anoozer said Rodway sold drugs via a social media app where messages disappear after a period.
Tick sheets and drug-related sales messages were also found on his phones by police.
Defence counsel Nick Mcghee submitted that his client had been successful in establishing a reputable business with multiple employees and had sought help to recover from his drug addiction.
Company records show he is one of two directors of Finway Investments Pty Ltd, and a shareholder in that company, as well as of Construction Concepts Pty Ltd.
The Finway Group website states the company has been in building industry for 20 years.
Justice Hindman told Lismore-born Rodway that she would spare him from serving prison time because of his early guilty plea, significant co-operation with police and lack of relevant criminal history.
Rodway has a criminal history in the NT and Queensland, Mr Anoozer said.
“You had been using drugs at the time,” Justice Hindman said, adding he had rehabilitated from his addiction. “This incident is really an aberration in your adult life,” she said.
She accepted that he only spiralled into selling drugs after starting to use them on a social basis, and he was a family man who loved his children.
“There are plainly a lot of people out there that love you very dearly and hopefully will provide you the supportive factors to ensure you stay on the right path,” Justice Hindman told Rodway. “You are running a successful business that is supporting other people,” she said.
Rodway’s mother, wife and best friend were in court to support him on Thursday and hugged him after he left the dock.