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THE prime mover in a large drug distribution network in the Limestone Coast tried to continue coordinating his illegal business from inside prison.
Troy Brian Sharam, 34, was the ring-leader of a drug distribution network, however it all began to come unstuck when he was arrested during a police drug bust on March 4, 2016.
Plain clothes and uniformed police from Millicent, Mount Gambier and Penola swooped on a Glencoe property and found Sharam living in a
caravan.
Inside the caravan, police found $18,000 in cash in a container along with what the prosecution described as “clear indications of drug trafficking”, including hand written notes and lists which corresponded with the money.
In a nearby car, 50g of what police suspected to be methylamphetamine, along with a .38 revolver and ammunition were found in an identical container to the one in the caravan.
Sharam appeared in court on March 7, 2016, where he made no application for bail and he has been in custody ever since.
While in custody, Sharam made several phone calls to David William Puckridge attempting to persuade him to arrange for someone to take responsibility for the 63.84g of drugs, containing 48.92g of methylamphetamine and the revolver.
The offer to anyone willing to take the fall for him included a Harley Davidson motorcycle, $10,000 cash and a further $20,000 if they did not receive a suspended sentence.
He sent a letter from prison, outlining this plan and which contained a list of names and amounts owed by various people to whom he had supplied drugs.
The prosecution also said at an earlier hearing that Sharam handed over the drug business to the “second in charge”, Puckridge, once incarcerated.
On Friday, Sharam was sentenced for his role, which included three counts of trafficking, possessing a Class H firearm without a licence, unlawful possession of just over $18,000 in cash and for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The offences of trafficking relate to an ounce of methylamphetamine sold for $5500 in late February 2016, the sale of two ounces of methylamphetamine to co-offender Shane Tippins and the seizure of drugs during the Glencoe raid.
Judge Sydney Tilmouth said Sharam was clearly the prime mover in the drug distribution network and continued to try to engage as best he could to keep the business afloat while in prison.
“These offences involved substantial quantities of amphetamine and together with the uncharged acts to be taken into account, amounted to something in the order of at least 100g of amphetamine, if not more,” Judge Tilmouth said.
“The tick list found in your cell contained lists of debts in many thousands of dollars and you were in possession of a substantial sum of cash of just over $18,000.”
Sentenced for charges of drug trafficking, firearms offences and attempting to pervert the court of justice, Sharam was given a head sentence of seven years, seven months and two weeks with a merciful non-parole period of three years and six months.
Judge Tilmouth said Sharam’s ability to stay drug-free in prison and the time he spent developing positive plans for the future were the reasons for a lenient non-parole period.
“These considerations, together with the additional matters put forward on your behalf by your counsel, suggest you have reasonable prospects for rehabilitation,” Judge Tilmouth
said.
