MOUNT Isa man Godfrey Purcell, 48, was a street level dealer of cannabis who used his profits for his own access to the drug.
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In the Mount Isa District Court last week he pleaded guilty to trafficking and possession of a dangerous drug, and to having $630 found in his possession gained from trafficking. He had been found with 10 grams of cannabis.
The court heard Purcell was a local dealer who conducted “street level type transactions” and who bought by the ounce.
Crown prosecutor Edward Coker said Purcell then divided his supply into smaller packs, and made about $300 in profit from each ounce.
“The defendant stated he used the money he gained to continue to fund his trafficking,” Mr Coker said. The money was not being used to live a “lavish lifestyle”.
Purcell had admitted to investigating police that he had been trafficking between November 30, 2015, until his arrest on June 9 last year.
At your age you should be showing more sense than this.
- Judge Martin
Without his confession there would not have been enough evidence to prosecute him for trafficking, Mr Coker said. Purcell had previously been given a 2.5 year prison sentence for trafficking cannabis. He had served eight months. Purcell was convicted in the Mount Isa Supreme Court on April, 2012.
Barrister Claire Grant, representing Anderson Telford Lawyers, said her client had been a “low level” trafficker.
“He was selling to the user rather than to those further distributing,” she said.
She said that Purcell was unemployed with experience as a ringer and in contract drilling, and had recently been given a job opportunity which would be affected by his prison sentence. Purcell was not addicted to the drug.
Judge Terry Martin ordered a prison sentence of two years and nine months for drug trafficking, three months for possession, and three months for possessing proceeds from trafficking. These sentences were to be served at the same time and he would be eligible for parole on September 21, 2017.
“At your age you should be showing more sense than this,” Judge Martin told the defendant while passing sentence. “It’s really quite silly.”