Trafficker kept cocaine inside coats

A 29-YEAR-OLD Corio man’s drug trafficking came to a sudden halt when police found cocaine and cash that had been stashed in his coat’s pockets.

James Bowker faced Geelong Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to possessing a drug of dependence and a weapons charge, with police seizing 55g of cocaine and $12,300 in the proceeds of the crime.

In June 2021, drug taskforce investigators intercepted Bowker’s vehicle in Corio and executed a search warrant on his vehicle and residence.

In addition to two mobile phones, police found bags containing white powder substances, a plastic cup with a metal spoon containing residue of the powder, digital scales with the cocaine residue and a knuckle duster.

Police submitted that

Bowker kept most of the cocaine found in the search in the pockets of coats and a ski jacket stored in a walk-in wardrobe.

Bowker’s defence lawyer told the court the fourth-year electrician apprentice’s work and home life had been “very, very good”, but an experiment with cocaine a few years ago got out of control and led to the offending.

“He was going out with friends in a social setting and was introduced to cocaine a few years ago,” he said.

“He was fine for the first time, and then there was the second time. And then there was a third time. And so on and so on.

“Until about 12 months ago, when it became a fullblown addiction.”

The defence lawyer submitted that Bowker was consuming 5-10g of cocaine a week and the “costly” habit led to him “selling it on the day of offending in order to get some of the money back for his own use”. Police submitted that “as with any case of someone who has a drug dependence”, Bowker’s chances of reoffending were high.

The prosecutor said the court could draw an inference that the police investigation meant Bowker’s offending went beyond the day in question.

“Given the amount of cash that was located at his house and the number of drugs … he had been trafficking for some time,” the prosecutor said.

The defence objected to the inference, but magistrate Ann McGarvie said it was a “logical conclusion” when considering the $12,300.

“It would be impossible for him to have trafficked that amount on the day,” Ms McGarvie said.

Bowker will be assessed for a community corrections order and will return to Geelong Magistrates Court at a later date for sentencing.