A Launceston man who has an 18-month jail sentence hanging over his head under a recently imposed drug treatment order was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Friday.
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Under the terms of the order handed down in the Supreme Court on February 8 Robert Craig Williams must not commit any imprisonable offence. He is also banned from associating with his brothers Stephen and Marcus Williams.
He did not plead to the charges.
Defence counsel Stephen Cronin told magistrate Sharon Cure that his original intention was to apply for bail but he was not now in a position to do so. Ms Cure adjourned the case until March 10 at 11.30am.
Mr Williams' drug treatment order had an 18-month custodial component after he pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of methylamphetamine, cannabis and pseudoephedrine.
The court heard that Williams had 144 grams of ice when police found him at his partner's home.
"The methylamphetamine in your possession would potentially have returned between $37,000 and $43,000, depending on the quantity of the individual sales," Justice Robert Pearce said in sentencing. Mr Williams has served terms of imprisonment for dishonesty, firearms and drug offences in 2013, for aggravated burglary and firearm offences in 2016, and more recently for family violence, dishonesty, bail and driving charges.
"You were due to be released on 30 November 2021. You have a lengthy history with Community Corrections and your record of compliance with community based orders and parole is very poor. That is largely because of your inability to refrain from drug use when in the community," Justice Pearce said.
He said a return to prison was unlikely to address the cycle of drug use and crime that Williams' had for more than 20 years. "You pose a very high risk of re-offending," Justice Pearce said.
"You have expressed a desire to change your lifestyle but environmental factors, your family and your pro-criminal associates, and your inability to adjust to life in the community have made this very difficult," Justice Pearce said.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
