Family man remains in jail

AN Innisfail boilermaker, busted growing a cannabis crop while on bail for trafficking ice, will remain behind bars until next year.

But Cairns’ top judge hopes the jail stint will finally be the “circuit breaker” for father-ofone Zachary John MacDonald to get back on the straight and narrow.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty in the Cairns Supreme Court on Thursday to trafficking ice for about five months last year, along with a host of other lesser drug offences.

Justice Jim Henry said MacDonald’s descent into drug use could seem surprising to some with his good family background, employment history and glowing references.

“(But) the reality is the court sees it all the time,” Justice Henry said.

The court heard MacDonald first came to police attention in late 2014 when he failed a roadside drug test and police found illicit substances inside the car.

His South Johnstone home was raided several months later with officers finding 120 cannabis plants, along with dried cannabis, seedlings and drug utensils.

But it was another car intercept which proved his ultimate downfall when he was stopped on September 9 last year and the contents of his mobile phone revealed a five-month history of ice sales.

Deals were done at various places including McDonald’s at Gordonvale, service stations at Mirriwinni and Deeral and Babinda.

Granted bail after that arrest, his drug offending continued and the court heard police raided his home again two months ago and found 1.23kg of cannabis.

MacDonald has been in custody ever since.

He was handed a four-year jail term, suspended after a year with two years’ probation.