Barrister puts police ‘on notice’ after arrest over $250k meth find

POLICE allegedly uncovered more than $250,000 of meth in a car parked in South Townsville.

A 40-year-old Oonoonba man was arrested on Tuesday and charged with possessing dangerous drugs over the schedule after police made the discovery of the 2kg of the drug last week.

Robert Lisle Hardy, 40, was due to be sentenced for unrelated drug offending on Tuesday but had his sentence postponed after police took him into custody.

Hardy did not appear when his case was mentioned in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday where defence barrister Michael Hibble slammed the police investigation, which he said left “more questions than answers”.

Mr Hibble asked the matter be adjourned and requested police provide more information about the case against his client.

“As it stands there is so many gaps,” he said. “I have put the police on notice now.”

Detailing some of the allegations against his client, Mr Hibble said police found the drugs in the car parked in Mcilwraith St on September 15 and alleged his client was captured on CCTV placing a bag in the car two days prior.

Mr Hibble argued nothing connected his client to the car aside from an “inference” he put the bag inside and questioned why prosecutors could not tell the court who the vehicle was registered to.

“They have a rego number, whose name is that vehicle registered to … it’s not rocket science,” he said. “The evidence as it stands, really there is more questions than answers.” If convicted, Mr Hibble said his client could face a possible 10 years behind bars. While Mr Hibble estimated the drugs were worth $250,000 on the street the 2kg of meth could fetch more than $1m.

The matter was adjourned to Friday when a bail application will be considered.