Buff ‘Shreddie’ scores jail time for coke deal
A GOLD Coast gym fanatic busted supplying thousands of dollars worth of cocaine to undercover cops has claimed he was driven by “indebtedness” to a friend.
Edward Mark McLaughlin sold varying quantities of the drug on five occasions between January 22 and March 11 last year.
Prosecutor Keith Nicholson told Southport District Court that the 42-year-old supplied 42.2g of cocaine in total, in exchange for $9600 in cash.
The court heard the Gold Coast man came to the attention of police while they were investigating an associate of McLaughlin’s, who is expected to face charges in the Supreme Court.
This second man was allegedly connected to the organised supply of cocaine through supplement stores on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Bundaberg.
The court was told McLaughlin had lost his job in the supplements industry and then entered into a business partnership with this man, finding new employment.
It was a sense of “indebtedness” for help finding a new job that drove McLaughlin to follow the other man’s alleged drug-dealing instructions, it was claimed.
Mr Nicholson said police found encrypted messages connecting him to the alleged drug operation on McLaughlin’s phone. He said McLaughlin was involved in a scheme that was “clearly commercially motivated” and should spend time in jail as punishment, despite an almost clean criminal history.
McLaughlin’s only prior conviction was for breaching a bail condition in October last year.
His Instagram account under the handle ‘Shreddie2.0’ documents his passion for health and fitness, displaying photos from previous bodybuilding competitions alongside workout selfies.
The court was told McLaughlin was born in New Zealand and lived there until the end of his rugby union career in 2009, then moved to Australia.
A letter of apology written by McLaughlin and character references were submitted to the court, pointing to his marriage breakdown and serious surgery on both knees as personal issues leading up to the offending.
The Coast man was extremely cooperative with police throughout their investigation, the court was told.
McLaughlin pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying dangerous drugs and one count of possessing an item used in connection with supplying drugs.
He was sentenced to jail for two and a half years, to be wholly suspended for three years after serving six months in custody.