Trafficking adds to penalty

More jail time for 20-year-old Texas man

A TEXAS teenager had taken to trading in methylamphetamine while on bail for two armed robberies, a court in Toowoomba heard.

Mitchell Thomas Malcolm Skinner, now 20, had been just 19 when sentenced to three years in jail in Warwick District Court after pleading guilty to his involvement in two armed robberies in the town.

However, the sentencing judge on that occasion hadn’t known that the then teenager was facing a charge of trafficking in methylamphetamine, Toowoomba Supreme Court heard.

Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso told the court Skinner and two associates had been dealing in the drug over a three-month period between May and August last year.

Ms Kelso said the Crown case was that the deals were of “street level” although on one occasion he had supplied 2.6g of the drug for $1375.

Of concern was that, despite telling the judge in Warwick he was clean of drugs, Skinner had been caught driving with drugs in his system less than a week after being sentenced, she said.

Skinner had spent about 13 months in custody all up, the court heard.

His barrister David Jones told the court Skinner had started using drugs after leaving home in

Texas and moving to Warwick.

Addiction had caused his client’s offending but since being in custody he had done two courses to better himself and get clean, Mr Jones submitted.

Justice Peter Applegarth told Skinner the court had given him every chance and warning to rehabilitate but he had continued to offend.

However, taking into account Skinner’s youth and pleas of guilty, Justice Applegarth said he would reduce the head sentence which would be served on top of the three years he was already serving.

On the trafficking charge, Skinner was sentenced to 30 months in jail but will be eligible to apply for release on parole as of November 6 this year.