A DRUG dealer recently released after serving 21 months in jail, who was caught with drugs and more than $17,000 cash at the weekend, has been remanded in custody.
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Luke James Allan, 33, of Hider Street, Warrnambool, unsuccessfully applied for bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until July 9.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose had not provided sufficient evidence to reach the exceptional circumstances standard so he could be granted bail.
She noted the nature and seriousness of the charges, the strength of the police case, his 14 pages of prior convictions, that he was currently on a corrections order, and said that if charges were proven he would likely receive a custodial sentence.
Mr Allan said he wanted bail to secure his possession in the flat he as being provided through the Western Region Alacohol and Drug centre.
“I want to continue my CCO which I’m blitzing. I’m out to monthly appointments,” he said.
“The other night was a bit of a shake up. I’d like to get out and get on with my life,” he said.
Warrnambool police Senior Constable Greg Kew said that he was one of two officers who intercepted a rental vehicle in Terang at 2.45am on Saturday morning.
Mr Allan was driving and two passengers in the car were known drug users Dion Clarke and Leigh Rodgers.
Mr Allan has an interlock condition on his driver’s Licence but there was no interlock device fitted to the rental car.
He told police he had borrowed the car to pick up his friends.
Senior Constable Kew said there was a baseball bat behind the driver’s seat and a 20cm knife on the driver’s side of the car.
A search of Mr Allan located three prescription medication tablets.
There was also $670 cash in his wallet, $2300 in a sunglasses case in the glove box, $11,905 in his backpack as well as a small set of scales, an ice pipe and other drug paraphernalia.
In a further search at the police station there was $2270 in his shoe and 1.9g of ice.
In his underwear there was another 7.7g of ice in a zip lock bag with the total ice haul having a street value of about $5000.
The total amount of cash found was $17,145.
The court heard that last year Mr Allan was released from prison after serving 21 months for charges including drug trafficking and aggravated burglary.
Mr Allan tried to explain the cash was wages from working, but Senior Constable Kew said he had checked with two of his claimed employers who denied any or significant employment or payments.
The police officer said Mr Allan was also facing a charge of refusing a drug test committed on May 22.
