No drugs but big drug fine

A 31-YEAR-OLD man has walked from a Toowoomba court $1900 poorer after admitting to drug-related offences in which no actual drug was found.

Police had conducted three separate raids on the Postmans Ridge home of Taylor Royce Murray on December 8 and 22 and January 15, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

During the first search, two pipes for smoking the drug and a pair of scissors used to chop up leaf were found, police prosecutor Jacquelyn Miller told the court.

The second search found a bong for smoking cannabis along with another pair of scissors, while the third search had located another pipe and a yet another pair of scissors used to chop up cannabis leaf, Sergeant Miller said.

Murray pleaded guilty to possessing utensils and property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence.

His solicitor Dan Habermann told the court his client was an occasional user of cannabis but no actual drug had been found during the searches of the property.

These offences were “all at the lower end of the scale under drug use legislation,” he submitted.

His client’s finances were handled by the Public Trustee and he could pay fines, Mr Habermann said.

Magistrate Graham Lee noted that the earlier offences were committed while Murray was subject to a 12-month good behaviour bond which had a $900 recognisance attached and which had been imposed for previous drug offences.

Mr Lee fined Murray $1000 and ordered the $900 recognisance be forfeited.