Ice use in the south-west has skyrocketed in the past 10 years and an increasing number of crimes are linked to the deadly drug. RACHAEL HOULIHAN and MONIQUE PATTERSON report.
DRUG-RELATED crime is soaring across the region.
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Warrnambool police responded to 40 methamphetamine-related offences in 2015.
In 2006, it was zero.
Inspector Paul Marshall said officers, locally and across the state, were placing a heavy focus on cracking down on drug-related crime as the trend continued at an alarming rate.
Ice is a form of the potent stimulant drug methamphetamine.
It is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine and comes as a powder or crystals that are usually snorted, injected or smoked.
“We do a lot of (interviews with) our offenders to probe their history and background,” Inspector Marshall said.
“More often than not, drugs come up as one of the key factors in their offending.
“Our focus on drugs is about trying to be a little bit scientific.
“Whenever we have any information that suggests drugs and the link that those drugs are connected to our divisional priorities – which are residential burglaries, property damage, crimes against the person – then we go hard after that person to try and persuade them to change their ways.”
More than 110 reports in The Standard in 2016 related to ice use – that’s more than two ice-related crimes a week.
A number of the reports reveal the offenders displayed erratic behaviour while under the influence of drugs, including one ice user who believed he was “trying to save humanity from aliens” during a rampage at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse Complex in Portland.
Another man was sent to jail for covering himself in baby oil and rubbing himself on the windows and doors of his elderly neighbours while under the influence of ice, while another male intercepted by police claimed it was unfair to interview him because: “I’ve taken copious amounts of meth.”
Not every ice-related crime or court appearance is reported.
The Standard believes these cases are only the “tip of the ice-berg” due to other stories that link crime to drug use but don’t specifically mention ice.
Inspector Marshall said there was several ways to encourage change.
“We can use the courts and diversion programs, rehabilitation programs, try and support the offender, and get them on the straight and narrow,” he said.
“If we can fix up their drug issues, then we can fix up a lot of the crime issues.”
He said divisional tasking and investigation response teams were onboard.
“Through our tasking and co-ordination process, we are getting all this information through to our guys in the divisional vans,” Inspector Marshall said.
“So, if we have a high-risk person of interest, for example, and we know they are an active property criminal and also a drug user, that person is known to every member of our force.
“If a divisional van see them, then they will speak to them. They will find out what they are doing and why and that provides intelligence for us to go forward.
“Our focus is on the offending and the offenders, more than so than anything else at the moment.”
Warrnambool police Senior Sergeant Shane Keogh established an initiative that started in the south-west and later expanded Australia-wide.
Targeting ice-stricken communities, Senior Sergeant Keogh’s Dob in a Dealer campaign calls on communities to come together in the fight against ice.
“We have seen up to 500 per cent increases with information coming in,” he said.
“(We are asking) the people who know what is going on within their community ... to contact Crime Stoppers.
“They are the ones who see it, they suspect it.”
Senior Sergeant Keogh said tips could also be sent to the Eyewatch Warrnambool Facebook page via private message.
Police consistently check the page, he said, and tips could remain anonymous.
A $1-million federal government commitment helped to roll out Dob in a Dealer across Australia, on the back of strong results from the Crime Stoppers Victoria initiative across regional and rural Victoria.
There are also calls for a residential drug rehabilitation facility in the south-west.
Western Region Alcohol and Drug and Medical Services director Geoff Soma told The Standard in November a facility was desperately needed.
He said people with drug and alcohol addictions needed up to six months intensive treatment to help them break a habit.
“It’s better to have something close to home where they can be supported and re-integrated back into the community,” he said.
Mr Soma estimated a residential rehabilitation centre would cost $2.3 million to build and a further $1.5 million annually to operate.
Inspector Marshall said research showed if drug addicts were supported, they could kick the habit.
“Family and friends are the number one main support but in the absence of that, a drug and alcohol rehab centre is next best,” he said.
Brophy Family and Youth Services was one of 12 community organisations to receive a share of $118,00 in state government funding in September. The organisation applied for the Community Ice Action Grant funding as a partner in the Great South Coast Ice Challenge – a community effort to address the harmful effects of the drug.
Inspector Marshall said the challenge was “one of the biggest, most comprehensive partnerships in the state”.
Fifty grams of ice equates to between 400 and 600 street “hits”. The maximum penalty for large commercial trafficking is life imprisonment and a $777,300 fine.
These stories detail some of the ice-related cases in 2016:
JANUARY
- A Warrnambool addict who went on an ice-induced crime spree sentenced to four months in Jail.
- A man responsible for a siege on Christmas Day while under the influence of ice jailed for four months.
- A man who stabbed a love rival on Christmas Day was on ice.
- An ice user who went on a rampage at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse Complex in Portland and caused more than $50,000 damage was in an ice-induced psychosis. His solicitor told the court his client was “trying to save humanity from aliens”.
- An ice user found with samurai swords was sentenced to three months.
- An ice user was charged with theft and possession of a sawn-off shotgun.
FEBRUARY
- A Hamilton resident was charged for possession of 55 grams of ice with a street value of $55,000.
- Police were told an erratic driver who evaded police “smoked ice before driving”.
- An ice user crashed into a brick wall and caused $4000 worth of damage.
- A Warrnambool man was charged with trafficking ice.
- A Colac man was charged for having 2.48 grams of ice.
MARCH
- A woman was charged for having 14 grams of ice.
- Two Warrnambool mothers were charged for ice possession.
- Police were called to Hungry Jack’s after a man was causing a disturbance. A search revealed $14,000 worth of ice in a make-up bag of a woman at the restaurant.
- A homeless ice addict was jailed for drug trafficking.
- Ice was found in a series of raids in Warrnambool.
- An ice user was deemed to dangerous to be released from custody because he was terrorising his girlfriend.
- A mother told The Standard her heart was breaking watching her son battle an ice addiction.
- The Great South Coast Ice Challenge announced it would hold a summit to help stop the scourge of ice in the south-west.
- A man was remanded in custody in relation to ice trafficking.
- An ice user was sentenced to 12 months in jail.
- Police found 11.6 grams of ice in a Warrnambool home.
- A drug user who smokes cannabis to try and limit his intake of ice was jailed for three months.
- An ice pipe and a crystal substance was found at a Glenormiston property.
- A woman pleaded guilty to ice possession.
APRIL
- A Hamilton man who lost three friends and began using ice was given a community correction order.
- An ice user was fined for fighting with a family member.
- A man was released on bail for possession of 11.6 grams of ice.
- Victoria Legal Aid South Coast executive director Dan Nicholson said more support services were needed for ice addicts.
MAY
- An ice user was jailed for 20 months for stealing a safe containing $177,000.
- A recovering drug addict warned others of the dangers of using ice.
- A man was jailed for six months for trafficking ice.
- A man was arrested for ice use.
- An ice user who planned a home invasion was remanded in custody.
JUNE
- A regular drug offender was ordered to remain behind bars despite being clean.
- A motel tenant was charged with trafficking ice worth $9000.
- A man was remanded in custody after 28 grams of ice with a street value of $28,000 was found in his car.
- A Warrnambool ice trafficker who continued to deal drugs while behind bars was sentenced to two years in jail.
- A Warrnambool woman who was found with $10,000 worth of ice was set to be interviewed about a kidnapping.
- A Portland ice addict who went on a crime wave to pay for drugs was jailed for six months.
- A Hamilton ice addict who broke into a home three times was sentenced for six months.
- A Hamilton man was sent to jail for two months for ice possession.
- A P-plate driver was charged with ice trafficking twice in a 26 hour period.
JULY
- A man found with ice in his underpants was remanded in custody.
- A man who was involved in setting up a business trafficking cannabis and ice was placed on another corrections order.
- A Portland ice addict serving a six month sentence received extra jail time.
- A man caught with ice and an ice pipe was jailed for six months.
- A woman charged with ice trafficking was released on bail.
- An ice user who handed himself into police a year after organising a violent home invasion was jailed for six months.
- A Portland fisherman was jailed for seven weeks for possessing ice.
AUGUST
- A man was remanded in custody for possessing a substance thought to be ice.
- A woman was placed on a corrections order for possessing ice.
- A former trucking business operator was jailed for for months for trafficking ice.
- A sentence was deferred for a man found with ice in his car.
- Police expressed concern over the high number of drug-related aggravated burglaries.
- A Glenfyne ice user who allegedly stole two cars, torching one and crashing the other was released from custody.
- A truckie who was on ice was sent to jail for covering himself in baby oil and rubbing himself against the windows and doors of his elderly neighbours.
- An ice trafficker who continued to deal behind bars abandoned his appeal.
- A drug user with a fetish for women’s underwear when he uses ice was jailed for 18 months.
- A Warrnambool ice addict was jailed for 60 days.
SEPTEMBER
- An ice user who stole two vehicles was given a 14 month corrections order.
- A Warrnambool woman charged with ice possession had her case adjourned.
- An Allansford man who stole a car while under the influence of ice was given a corrections order.
- A drug dealer was ordered to serve 18 months in a youth detention centre for trafficking ice.
- A man charged with burglaries told the court he was trying to get off ice.
- A Port Fairy ice user gestured rudely at police as he sped past and drove at 180km/h.
- A magistrate warned a woman to address her issues after she admitted to using ice “just once”.
- A pregnant teenager was caught with trafficking ice on two occasions.
- A rapper with substance abuse issues pleaded guilty to ice possession.
- Police arrested an ice trafficker.
- A Penshurst man was charged with trafficking ice.
OCTOBER
- A Branxholme man was charged with ice possession.
- An ice user who stole his mother’s car was jailed for 104 days.
- A woman who caused a truck rollover while allegedly under the influence of ice was jailed.
- A man refused to appear in court because he was withdrawing from ice.
- An ice user admitted to stealing a range of goods to help pay a $10,000 drug debt.
- A Warrnambool mum was placed on a corrections order for possessing nine grams of ice.
- A Warrnambool ice user who bashed and threatened to kill a woman was sent to jail.
- A Warrnambool drug user caught with ice valued at $28,000 avoided jail.
- A Branxholme man allegedly caught with 149.7 grams of ice was remanded in custody.
- A mother of three who was charged with possessing five grams of ice was refused bail.
- An ice user who carried a large stick to break family members’ possessions was ordered to do 100 hours community work.
- An ice user alleged to have shot at two associates with a rifle in Camperdown was remanded in custody.
- A wanted man found with a significant amount of ice was jailed for four months.
- A man caught speeding in a stolen car driving under the influence of ice was remanded in custody.
NOVEMBER
- A Warrnambool grandmother was jailed for ice possession.
- Warrnambool police Sergeant Shane Keogh said a drug and alcohol rehab centre would cut the region’s crime rate.
- A Framlingham ice user who stole a car was released after 41 days in custody.
- A fugitive arrested by police was charged with ice possession.
- A man was ordered to complete 200 hours of community work for ice possession.
- An ice user who told police dealing drugs was better than working was ordered to spend eight months in a youth justice centre.
- A teenage drug dealer who hoped to make $170,000 in 12 months was jailed for six weeks.
- A Bostock Creek man was remanded in custody for ice trafficking.
- A man was sentenced to three months for trafficking ice.
DECEMBER
- A drug addict police claim is the major ice trafficker in the Warrnambool district was released on bail.
- A Terang district man caught with a sawn-off shotgun admitted to ice use.
- A Terang drug driver was sentenced to another 16 days after admitting to being under the influence of ice while driving.
- A Hamilton mother charged with trafficking ice was released on bail.
- A drug driver told police he had used ice and told police it was unfair to interview him because “I’ve taken copious amounts of meth”.
Rachael Houlihan
Deputy editor at The Standard. Former Warrnambool City Council and general news reporter. Send me news tips: rhoulihan@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
Deputy editor at The Standard. Former Warrnambool City Council and general news reporter. Send me news tips: rhoulihan@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
