A MAN has pleaded guilty to three drug related offences after police found meth, diazepam tablets and Buprenorphine hidden in an ottoman in his house.
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Matthew McCallum, of Howick Street, Bathurst, pleaded guilty and was convicted for charges of supply prohibited drug, possess prohibited drug, and possess/attempt to prescribe restricted substance.
According to court documents, at around 12.55pm on July 26, 2023, police attended McCallum's residence after obtaining a search warrant, where they found a capped PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe inside an ottoman in a bedroom.
Inside the pipe, police found two plastic containers holding a combined 10.97 grams of what was later identified as methylamphetamine (meth), four strips of Buprenorphine and eight diazepam tablets, court documents read.
Also found was $1780 cash, four sets of digital scales, a large number of small resealable bags, an ice pipe and a piece of paper displaying a number of names with monetary amounts next to them.
According to court documents, McCallum's phone had a number of images on it of what police believed to be meth being weighed in his bedroom, on the same scales they found in the PVC pipe.
There were also photos of what police believed to be meth in the same plastic containers found in the PVC pipe, with the images dated July 20, 2023, six days prior to the search warrant.
According to court documents, police also found conversations between McCallum and other people about meth in exchange for money.
While initially McCallum said he didn't know who owned any of the items police located, further examinations found his DNA was on the lid of the PVC pipe.
On September 29, 2023, police returned to McCallum's residence where they found him in the bath behind a curtain, court documents read.
McCallum was then placed under arrest and taken to Bathurst Police Station, where he admitted to owning the meth and said it was for his own personal use but also stating he had supplied some to other people.
According to court documents, McCallum also admitted to owning the diazepam tablets and that they were also for his own use.
However, he could not recall the Buprenorphine, but admitted no one else knew about the PVC pipe and it's possible he just didn't recall it being in there due to his drug use.
McCallum faced Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis in Bathurst Local Court on November 8, 2023, where he entered pleas of guilty to all charges.
While his solicitor told the court he is remorseful for what he did and only recommenced using drugs when his grandmother and father died within a month of each other, Magistrate Ellis said in her opinion the matter is very serious.
"There has to be a message that supplying drugs is not acceptable, full stop," Magistrate Ellis told the court.
The 37-year-old was sentenced to a 12-month Intensive Corrections Order (ICO) and 150 hours of community service work.
He is also to abstain from drugs and alcohol.
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