Muso caught trafficking drugs

A TALENTED musician could have put his burgeoning career in jeopardy by trafficking drugs on the streets of Toowoomba.

Just two weeks after his 18th birthday, Oskar Jack Tranter started supplying mainly cannabis but also MDMA (ecstasy) to a customer base of about 20 people from late 2018 to mid-2019, Toowoomba District Court heard.

During the nine months of trafficking, the now 20-yearold had supplied drugs on 35 occasions including ecstasy on nine occasions.

Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court the trafficking was “unsophisticated” and at street level.

Supplying ecstasy was particularly serious as the then teenager didn’t know what was contained in the pills, she said.

“He’s not a pharmacist,” Ms Petrie submitted.

Tranter pleaded guilty to trafficking dangerous drugs, eight counts of supplying dangerous drugs and to possessing a drug related utensil.

His barrister Jessica Goldie told the court her client had co-operated with police and provided his PIN so they could access messages on his phone which led to the charges.

Tranter was a talented musician who had made music videos, the court heard.

Ms Goldie said her client had taken steps toward rehabilitation and was booked in for a drug rehab course at a Brisbane Hospital from next week.

He had been homeless in Brisbane but his mother had invited him to return to live at home in Toowoomba on the condition he not use drugs, she said.

The then teenager’s drug selling had been to support his own drug habit and for accommodation, the court heard.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC told Tranter his offending was serious.

“From late 2018 to mid-2019 you were a drug dealer,” he told him.

However, youth and his efforts at rehabilitation would save him from actual jail time at the moment.

Tranter was sentenced to 30 months’ jail but released on immediate parole.

“You are a prisoner but a prisoner allowed to remain in the community,” Judge Horneman-Wren told him.