Drug king pin jailed
A DRUG trafficker, jailed after being caught with a swag of drugs, loaded handgun and $11,200 cash has been described as a significant player in Geelong’s drug trafficking industry.
Alex Urquhart, 22, of Peter St, Grovedale, pleaded guilty in a Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday to possessing and trafficking amphetamine, methamphetamine and possessing ecstasy.
He also pleaded guilty to possessing a handgun, ammunition, the proceeds of crime and driving while disqualified.
Police Prosecutor, Leading Senior Constable Ian Kerin said police were called to the Best Western Motor Inn about 11.30am on January 1 regarding a male who appeared drug affected and refusing to leave the property.
He said staff became suspicious after overnight complaints of high traffic to and from Urquhart’s room.
“When police arrived, they found a number of pills inside a black satchell in Urquhart’s possession,” Sen-Constable Kerin said.
“Inside one of two carry bags belonging to Urquhart, police also found a loaded handgun wrapped in denim pants along with a quantity of drugs and drug remnants.”
Sen-Constable Kerin said that, during searches of both Urquhart’s motel room and Grovedale home, police found a total 280 grams amphetamine, 90 grams of methamphetamine, two ecstasy tablets and a quantity of crushed ecstasy tablets.
“Also located were four empty cartridges, 53 packets of cigarettes, two mobile phones, one containing drug-related messages, a set of scales, knuckleduster and $11,200 cash,” he said.
The prosecutor said Urquhart, who has accumulated more than 10 priors in four years for disqualified driving, was spotted driving disqualified again on December 22, 2014. The court heard Urquhart’s only source of income was from drug trafficking and he was on two suspended jail sentences at the time of offending.
Duncan Robertson, for Urquhart, said his client realised he was going to jail and it was simply a case of how long.
“He spent three months in jail once before and said he didn’t learn anything from that mistake,” Mr Robertson said.
The lawyer said his client had been using ice daily for three years and asked that any jail sentence not be crushing.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan said it was clear Urquhart’s level of involvement in local drug trafficking was significant.
Urquhart, who also has priors for trafficking methamphetamine and trading in stolen firearms, was convicted and sentenced to two years jail with a non-parole period of 12 months.