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Core Topics => Substance Usage, Management, User Experiences etc. => Topic started by: dazzler on July 23, 2015, 01:23:25 PM
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http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/man-turned-to-drugs-to-cope-with-relationship-break-up-court-hears-20150721-gih5nu.html
Man turned to drugs to cope with relationship break up: court hears
A Canberra man turned to drug dealing to fund his habit in the wake of a relationship split, a court has heard.
At the peak of his habit, Kenji Peter Aoki, 32, had used about $1000 worth of ice each day.
The ACT Magistrates Court heard he turned to dealing to cover the cost and soon amassed more than $23,000 in cash.
But the drugs caused paranoia and Aoki resorted to carrying weapons to ward off the fear.
Aoki was arrested in Wanniassa in March last year after police bashed down the door of a home.
Further searches discovered methylamphetamine (11.28 grams pure), 439.8 grams of cannabis, a shortened revolving rifle, more than $23,291 in cash, and electronics suspected to have been stolen.
He was charged with a series of offences, and pleaded guilty before Magistrate Peter Dingwall on Tuesday to possession of weapons, 46 rounds of ammunition, stolen property, methylamphetamine, and cannabis, and dealing in proceeds of crime.
The prosecution dropped a number of other similar charges.
Defence lawyer James Maher told the court his client had turned to alcohol and drugs to numb his feelings when he suffered depression and anxiety after the breakdown of a relationship "He stuck his head in the sand," Mr Maher said.
Mr Maher said the drug use had turned to drug dealing, which in turn led to paranoia and carrying weapons.
The court Aoki now recognised the danger he had posed to himself and the community and acknowledged he had been lucky to come to police attention when he did.
Mr Maher said Aoki had sought counselling and been drug free in the year he had been on bail.
Prosecutor Petra Halova said the offences had been serious, involving larger quantities of drugs and cash, and categorised a number of the offences as mid-to-upper range.
Mr Dingwall sentenced Aoki to 18 months jail, backdated to take into account three months in custody, to be fully suspended upon entering a good behaviour order.
The magistrate also ordered the offender complete 96 hours community service and pay court costs.
Mr Dingwall accepted Aoki had been suffering from a mental illness at the time of the offences, but was now heading in the right direction to rehabilitate himself.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/man-turned-to-drugs-to-cope-with-relationship-break-up-court-hears-20150721-gih5nu.html#ixzz3ggn6x6Ev