Half a joint the last straw

[babybear]

Half a joint the last straw

 

02.11.2007

By Lacey Burley

 

DAVID Neil Egan will spend the next five months in jail for smoking half a marijuana joint less than 12 hours after he was placed on probation by the court.

 

Egan, 41, of no fixed address, appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to possession of a dangerous drug. This charge breached his probation orders.

 

Prosecutor Sergeant Tony Costa said police were patrolling the Warrego Highway at Kingsthorpe at 8.30pm on October 24.

 

They stopped two kilometres from Zimms Corner and approached Egan, who smelt like burnt marijuana.

 

Police did a pat down search of Egan and found a half-rolled joint (0.

 

 

 

2grams) in his wallet, Sgt Costa said.

 

The defendant said the drug was marijuana and he had purchased it that day and smoked it that evening.

 

Egan had appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court that same day and had been placed on probation for 12 months after pleading guilty to two charges of stealing, forgery and contravening a requirement of a police officer.

 

He was also on a suspended prison sentence from other serious matters dealt with by the Clermont Magistrates Court in April.

 

Defence solicitor David Burns (David Burns Lawyers) said his client started using marijuana heavily when he was 16 and was diagnosed with drug-induced schizophrenia at 18.

 

Mr Burns said Egan was also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when he was 31 and became addicted to marijuana, opium-based prescriptions and morphine.

 

Mr Burns said his client told him that he did not purchase the joint, as police stated, but had been hitchhiking to Dalby and "one of the lifters offered him and gifted him the drug".

 

Magistrate Bruce Schemioneck noted Egan had "a shocking history as far as drug-related matters".

 

He also noted that he had been held in custody since he was arrested eight days ago.

 

Mr Schemioneck told the court that for Egan's previous possession of dangerous drug charges, he had been given fines, probation, imprisonment, and early parole. However, these had not deterred him and the new offence was again for "personal gain" only.

 

Egan was re-sentenced for the original offences as well as the new possession of a dangerous drug charge.

 

He was sentenced to serve five months in jail with a fixed parole release date of March 31, 2008.

 

All convictions were recorded.

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/localnews/s...condsubsection=

[WantDaChronic]

i feel sorry for him getting busted with half a joint, but if you are in the eyes of the law for what ever reason you should stay away from drugs until the heat is over

[67Special]

On one hand I feel for him too WDC, because carrying/smoking a joint simply isn't hurting anyone, except his own lungs a little I suppose.

 

But on the other hand, what fool hangs on to half a joint while the pigs are approaching

If he'd torn it up and stealthily dropped it, they would have had nothing on him ...christ, he could have just swallowed the fucking thing!

 

If your already on a suspended sentence it obviously pays to be a bit more aware of your situation than this guy was.

 

At least he doesn't have to worry about finding food & shelter for the next 5 months ...or sex for that matter

 

[failure]

Hopefully all this helpful jail time will save him from suffering through the life-ending horrors of smoking marijuana.

 

Prison. It's because the government cares about you.

[jojothepotfiend]

On one hand I feel for him too WDC, because carrying/smoking a joint simply isn't hurting anyone, except his own lungs a little I suppose.

 

But on the other hand, what fool hangs on to half a joint while the pigs are approaching

If he'd torn it up and stealthily dropped it, they would have had nothing on him ...christ, he could have just swallowed the fucking thing!

 

If your already on a suspended sentence it obviously pays to be a bit more aware of your situation than this guy was.

 

At least he doesn't have to worry about finding food & shelter for the next 5 months ...or sex for that matter

 

 

I agree about him not thinking it out too clearly.

[blackheartedprofit]

that is nothing more than fascism out of control, it is disgusting that this can happen in Australia regardless of the laws

[urbanfarmer]

I don't understand how somebody with diagnosed Mental Health issues gets sent to a jail. Talk about compounding a problem. Absolutely negligent fuck heads!