A BALLARAT court has heard a young man caught trafficking drugs at the Rainbow Serpent music festival was on the brink of death, "spitting and gurgling" while unconscious in the back of a police car after ingesting huge amounts of the drug GHB.
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Jarra Lindsay-King, 21, of South Yarra, was arrested by police at the festival near Lexton about 10.30pm on January 22, after being seen behaving in an "unusual manner" with a handbag full of drugs strapped around his neck.
Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday heard a search of the bag found 163 ecstasy pills worth almost $5000 and 50 millilitres of GHB worth $500, and that Lindsay-King had taken about 17 millilitres of GHB.
Recalling seeing the young man in "a very bad way" during his first court appearance back in January, magistrate Cynthia Toose said Lindsay-Kind was "lucky he didn't die".
"I remember him, because he was right out there," Ms Toose said.
"He was acting in a most bizarre manner."
Asked by Lindsay-King's lawyer if she was familiar with the annual festival, the magistrate said: "Yes, it generates work for me."
Lindsay-King pleaded guilty to charges including trafficking ecstasy, and possessing and using GHB.
His barrister detailed to the court an upbringing disturbed by his parents' separation, adding her client was "a bright kid" whose offending had been fuelled by "adolescent acting out".
The barrister said her client's arrest had been the "wake-up call" he needed, arguing Lindsay-King should be placed on a community corrections order, without conviction.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose agreed with the barrister's submissions, sentencing Lindsay-King to a 12-month community corrections order on the trafficking charge.
Ms Toose also fined him $350 on the possess and use charges and did not record a conviction.
Lindsay-King was ordered to complete 70-hours of unpaid community work and seek assessment and treatment for drugs, alcohol and mental health.
