Possessing Dangerous Drugs VIII

Offences:                          Possessing Dangerous Drugs Commercial over 250 grams

Court:                                Townsville Supreme Court

Solicitor:                           Mark Williams

Overview:

Our client was charged with possessing (in total) 256 grams gross methylamphetamine, with a pure weight of 188 grams.  Some initial negotiations took place between Mr Williams and the police which had the effect of no further charges being preferred upon our client (such as trafficking or supply).  As such, our client proceeded to sentence.  Given our client’s significant drug history she was remanded into custody.  Our Mr Mark Williams was able to visit her in prison several times and it became apparent that she suffered from a series of significant health problems which caused her to resort to drug use.  Mr Williams began liaising with the prison medical team and our client’s medical professionals in the community to obtain reports and information regarding her health issues.  This led to a team of people now beginning to diagnose, treat and monitor both our client’s ongoing health problems and her drug addiction.

At the time of sentence, the medical material was tendered and resulted in our client receiving a reduced sentence. At sentence, the Crown Prosecutor submitted that a head sentence of 7-8 years was appropriate with her serving at least one-third if not more of the sentence.  We argued however that 5.5 – 6 years was the better range relying on a number of Court of Appeal decisions supporting this.  Ultimately the court imposed a head sentence of 6 years with parole eligibility after serving 21 months which was excellent result considering the amount of drugs involved and our client’s criminal history.

WARNING:

This is a summary of an actual case. Details have been omitted to protect the privacy of our client. We select cases which are informative and no guarantee is provided that similar results are achievable in all cases. Every case is different and you should obtain legal advice specific to your matter and circumstances.