By Ewen McRae
A man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for attempting to manufacture drugs in a Brimbank motel.
John Weston, 43, pleaded guilty in the County Court to possession of substances, material, documents or equipment for trafficking in a drug of dependence following an incident at a motel in July, 2016.
The court heard that on July 12, 2016, a man checked into the motel and two days later extended his stay, saying he would pay for the room by noon on that day.
When no payment had been made by the agreed time, the duty manager made an unsuccessful attempt to make phone contact with that person. Soon after 12.15pm, the manager decided to attend the room to secure payment.
The manager told the court that he noticed a strong chemical smell as he approached the room. When he knocked on the door, there was no answer.
After waiting a minute or so, he entered the room and saw a number of people, two cook tops to the left of the door and a syringe on the floor. He immediately told the occupants to leave and then returned to the office to call the police.
A tradesman working nearby said he saw two men and a woman leave the room and drive away before the police arrived
When police attended the scene, they discovered scientific glassware and various chemicals throughout the room, as well as hotplates, syringes and other materials that police said could be used to manufacture illicit substances.
Police also located three black dash cameras in a black satchel bag on the bed. When analysed, they were found to contain recordings on which Weston could be heard to refer to chemicals and discuss mixing different acids. Weston’s fingerprints were found on various items.
Weston was arrested on August 10. While he initially denied being in the room, he later said he was there, but was being coerced into conducting a “test cook” by another man.
The court heard that at the time of the incident, Weston was regularly using amphetamines and was also likely suffering a number of cognitive deficits due to a serious head injury he suffered from an assault in 2015.
Judge Mark Gamble said that while some leniency could be made given the coercion Weston was under, as well as his mental state, the offending was still serious enough to warrant a prison sentence.
“Whilst I accept that you were put under some degree of pressure to become involved, the fact remains that you must have known that you were taking part in a well-organised criminal operation,” Judge Gamble said.
“Even allowing for some reduction for the cognitive deficits caused by your brain injury, I still consider that your moral culpability for this offending was relatively significant.”
Weston will be eligible for parole in 12 months.
