Drug trafficker cops jail

A TOOWOOMBA father of two, found with a range of drugs and more than $11,000 in cash, has narrowly avoided actual jail time after pleading guilty to trafficking charges.

Steven John Lewis was found with 100g of cannabis, 2.08g of cocaine, 2.18g of ecstasy, 33 tablets of lysergide, and $11,400 during a police search of his home on September 3, 2019, Toowoomba Supreme Court heard.

The 35-year-old co-operated fully with police, telling them he had been selling predominantly cannabis and, although he used the drug himself, confessed to selling the drugs for money, the court heard.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court the Crown accepted Lewis had trafficked at a street level.

Lewis pleaded guilty to trafficking between June 13, 2019, and September 4, 2019, as well as to possessing drugs above the 2g schedule, and possessing drugs and tainted property (being the $11,400 cash).

The court heard that Lewis, during the trafficking period, had a customer base for cannabis of about 30 to 40 people, while he occasionally supplied MDMA to about six people.

His barrister David Jones told the court his client had started using cannabis in 2010 while self medicating for depression and sleep issues after finding medication didn’t seem to work for him.

His client had a good work history in a range of jobs but he had in recent years started up a 3D printing business which was growing and successful, he said.

Lewis was the sole breadwinner for his family of two children and partner of 10 years, who was in court supporting him, he said.

Justice Martin Burns told Lewis his offending had put his family and business at risk and both would struggle should he be sent to prison.

Justice Burns noted Lewis had just two entries on his criminal history, both for drug offending dating back some years and for which he was placed on probation, which hadn’t seemed to work.

“Mr Lewis, make no bones about it, this is serious offending,” Justice Burns told him.

He sentenced Lewis to 30 months in jail but ordered he be released on parole immediately.