A 29-year Ballarat man has been charged with trafficking ice after police found more than twice the amount of drugs that makes him liable for trafficking.
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The accused, Quenten Richard Beer, made an application for bail at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Friday, which was subsequently refused.
Police informant Acting Sergeant Lynne Forster told the court Beer was first observed by police around 9pm on April 27 when he pulled up behind their patrol car, dimmed his lights and conducted a U-turn.
Police followed the car, which was found a short while later crashed into a pole in Latrobe Street with the engine still running.
It is alleged Beer was the driver, who fled the car and hid by a nearby building.
During a search of the car it is alleged police found a number of drug-related items including a large number of zip-lock bags, a set of scales, a syringe with 10ml of GHB, eight grams of ice (three grams is a traffickable amount in the state of Victoria) and more than $200 in cash.
Beer had been disqualified from driving at the time and was on a community corrections order.
His lawyer, James McKenzie, argued with no priors for trafficking drugs, jail would not be the only sentencing option open to the court, meaning a refusal of bail could be “unjust” or “manifestly excessive”.
Addressing the potential risk to community, Mr McKenzie said being placed in custody overnight had been a “sobering experience” for his client.
But magistrate Gregory Robinson said he was concerned Beer would not abide by any bail conditions given it is alleged he drove while disqualified. He was remanded to reappear in court on May 29.
