A drug dealer who tried to sell cocaine to Sydney man Gary Tweddle on the night he fell off a cliff and died in the Blue Mountains has been sentenced to two years' jail.
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Christopher Thomas Pambos was the only one who knew where Mr Tweddle was trying to get to on the night he vanished but kept silent as thousands joined the largest search ever conducted in the Blue Mountains.
The British-born sales representative, from Cremorne, ran out of the Fairmont Resort at Leura during a work conference in the early hours of July 16, 2013.
Court documents obtained by Fairfax Media reveal Mr Tweddle was intoxicated and trying to find his way to Penrith train station to buy five bags of cocaine from Pambos.
But the 23-year-old got lost in bushland and was never seen again.
When Pambos saw news reports about Mr Tweddle's disappearance he ignored a call from police and threw his mobile phone away.
"Pambos stated that he did this, and did not contact police, as he was scared of being exposed as a drug dealer and was worried about the consequence of this," according to facts tendered to the District Downing Centre Court.
Police began investigating Pambos as Mr Tweddle's heartbroken girlfriend Anika Haigh made desperate pleas for people to come forward with information.
He and Ms Haigh had been dating for three years and Ms Haigh described her partner as the most fun-loving, caring and intelligent person she had ever met.
"My best friend has been taken from me and it's so hard. It's horrible, I just miss him so much. My heart aches, it hurts, I didn't even know I had these emotions."
Hundreds of friends, family and Oracle employees plastered missing posters on every corner of Leura and Katoomba as more than 800 police, firefighters and volunteers searched rugged terrain.
During this time police tracked Pambos down after finding his number on Mr Tweddle's iPad under a false name.
Pambos had already been arrested and appeared in court by the time Mr Tweddle's body was found on a cliff ledge at Katoomba, six weeks after his disappearance.
On November 14 this year, Pambos was finally sentenced to a maximum two years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to three supply related offences.
Documents tendered at his sentencing detailed how Mr Tweddle died as a result of lung puncture caused after falling 23 metres from Sublime Point at Katoomba.
"There was no suggestion of foul play in the death of Mr Tweddle and his death is believed to be as a result of misadventure," the papers said.
Police said he was found wearing the same clothes he went missing in with a wallet containing his ID and $1300 cash.
An iPhone found 70 metres further down the cliff had no battery but showed Mr Tweddle had been using a compass and flashlight app at the time he fell.
Phone records showed Mr Tweddle and Pambos exchanged 25 text messages between 11.02pm on July 15 and 12.50am on July 16 to organise the sale of five bags of cocaine for $1550.
Mr Tweddle had drunk one to two bottles of wine at Silks Brasserie in Leura with Oracle colleagues and appeared to be in "good spirits".
He was helped into the front seat of a taxi and after he got back to the resort he contacted Pambos.
"Hey man. I'm in leura. Keen to pay whatever. Any chance for a delivery? Will pay BIG," said a text message sent at 11.15pm.
It was agreed the pair would meet at Penrith train station to make the exchange. This was a 45 minute drive from where Mr Tweddle was staying.
When Pambos arrived he parked in the station car park and sent Mr Tweddle three texts.
He waited 15 minutes but drove back to Sydney after failing to get a response.
Mr Tweddle sent his last text to Pambos at 11.50 and three minutes later he was captured on CCTV footage running out of the Fairmont.
An Oracle work colleague was seen running after him but he returned seconds later.
Concerned friends called his phone at 12.02am and Mr Tweddle picked up and told them he was lost.
"Tweddle appeared to still be in good sprits during this call. This was the last known contact with Tweddle. [He] was not seen or heard from after this call," the agreed facts stated.
But his disappearance did nothing to deter Pambos from dealing drugs.
Police stopped the 27 year old in his mother's green Ford Fiesta on Illawarra Road at Marrickville on August 2.
The dealer looked shell-shocked when police said they were investigating Mr Tweddle's disappearance.
"Pambos immediately became nervous and started shaking and stumbling over his words."
He confessed he had a mobile hidden in the crutch of his underpants and told them he had drugs stashed inside his Earlwood unit.
Police found more than $30,000 worth of cocaine and $800 of MDMA concealed in a Prada and Emporio Armani box inside a fridge.
During a search of his bedroom, officers also found a black drug ledger book, two sets of scales, a capsule filler, empty gelatine capsules, a number of mobile phones and 18 replica men's watches.
The drug dealer was arrested and charged but granted bail when he first appeared before Burwood Local Court on August 23.
Fairfax Media approached Mr Pambos when he was reporting to Marrickville police station but he did not wish to make a comment.
Almost a year and half after Mr Tweddle's death, Pambos was sentenced to nine months' jail for trying to supply him with cocaine.
Judge Robert Toner sentenced him to two years' jail for the two supply charges related to the cocaine and MDMA found in his unit.
He will serve the sentences concurrently and will be eligible for parole on November 13, 2015.
