Speed addict tradesman steals drugs from police station
Article from: The Courier-Mail
Mark Oberhardt
February 24, 2010 10:49am
A SPEED addict stole a large amount of drugs from a police station exhibit room while he was working there installing an air ventilator, a court has heard.
Police were unaware that concrete cutter Tony Jackson had a 20-year addiction to methylamphetamine when he was left unattended while installing the ventilator at the Maroochydore station on the Sunshine Coast.
The Supreme Court in Brisbane heard Jackson could not resist the temptation which was likened to "leaving children in a room full of lollies" and he grabbed a large bag full of speed, ecstasy and cocaine.
Police didn't realise Jackson had stolen the drugs until three months later, by which time he had distributed the ecstasy and coacine in return for more speed.
The court heard he had used all of the speed and not slept for 21 days before deciding to get some help for his addiction.
Justice Debbie Mullins said Jackson must have thought "all his Christmases had come at once".
"I gather police don't do background checks on contractors or Mr Jackson would not have been at that station and in particular in the exhibit room where drugs were kept?" she asked.
Prosecutor Paula Price said she did not know the answer but it seemed that way.
Jackson, 37, pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from a police exhibit room, possessing drugs, four counts of supplying drugs on July 4, 2008.
He also pleaded guilty to producing cannabis sativa and possessing cannabis sativa, between July and October, 2008.
Ms Price said Jackson was working as a concrete cutter at the police station's exhibit room when the supervising officer left.
She said Jackson sent his offsider outside and grabbed the biggest bag which he hid in a water vaccum.
Ms Price said the bag contained 1,925 ecstasy tablets, white powder containing 4.987 grams of cocaine and 15.5 grams of speed.
Jackson had given some of the ecstasy tablets to two women to help him distribute it and also done a deal over the cocaine and rest of the tablets.
Ms Price said while Jackson had not been an employee or a servant of the police station there still needed to be a deterrent sentence.
Barrister Chris Wilson, for Jackson, said his client had got such a shock after not sleeping for 21 days after using the speed that he had sought his own rehabilitation.
He had spent six months at the Logan House centre, was now drug free, had re-established his business and mended his relations with his parents.
Mr Wilson said it had not been a planned crime but the spur of the moment actions fo a man with a 20-year speed addiction.
"It really was a case akin to children being left in a room full of lollies," Mr Wilson said.
Justice Mullins said he accepted Jackson had made efforts at overcome his problems even before being interviewed by police but there had to be a sentence which would deter others.
She sentenced Jackson to three years jail and set a parole release date after six months.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26767918-952,00.html
There ya go... three years, shitty =\ ballsy move tho, thats a shit load of pills
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