Police arrested Carrick Dalton, 25, at the long-weekend festival on Monday and charged him with nine drug-related offences, including trafficking and possessing drugs.

The New South Wales man was granted bail at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday despite police concerns he was an unacceptable risk of reoffending and leaving Victoria.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Steve Kent told the court Dalton was located unconscious due to an overdose of the drug ketamine. 

He said medical staff took Dalton to a medical facility where they located a number of small deal bags inside a ‘bum bag’ draped over his shoulder.

Police officers attended and a search revealed the accused was allegedly carrying two small deal bags containing ketamine, 10 green pills suspected to be ecstasy, two bottles of liquid believed to contain GHB and $1415 cash.

Leading Senior Constable Kent said once Dalton was out of the care of the medics, he was arrested and taken to the Ballarat Police Station.

He said while at the station, the accused told police he had more drugs inside his underwear, including 25 deal bags containing ketamine.

Dalton allegedly told police the drugs were for personal use, he had a ketamine problem and the cash was to buy drugs.

He denied trafficking drugs.

Defence lawyer Melanie Rudolphus said her client had divided the drugs into the deal bags so he knew the quantity he had taken.

She said there was an issue relating to the trafficking drug charges because it was unclear if the drugs found amounted to a trafficable quantity.

But magistrate Steven Raleigh was not drawn on the defence lawyer’s submissions and showed the court a photo of the drugs found on Dalton while pointing out the large quantity.

Ms Rudolphus said Dalton could abide by strict bail conditions and his mother could provide a $50,000 surety.

The court granted Dalton bail due to his lack of significant prior criminal history in Victoria, a delay in court proceedings and his young age.

His bail conditions include a $50,000 surety, daily reporting to police, a curfew, not to use drugs and live at a static address. He was ordered to surrender his passport and not to leave Victoria or Australia.

Dalton faces nine charges, including four counts of drug trafficking. He will return to court in March.

ANOTHER DRUG TRAFFICKER APPEALS SENTENCE, NO BAIL

A 23-year-old man sentenced to jail for dealing drugs at the Rainbow Serpent festival has been refused appeal bail.

Kurtis Smith, of Edithvale, was on Tuesday handed a three month jail sentence and 24-month community corrections order for trafficking ketamine and ecstasy at the Lexton festival.

The Ballarat Magistrates Court refused to grant him bail while he waits for his appeal hearing in the County Court.

Magistrate Gregory Robinson said on Wednesday Smith had engaged in serious behaviour by dealing drugs at the festival.

“I understand the risk (of reoffending) can be reduced … however with the damage that is being done in the community, including deaths of young people and the role and facilitating of that, people selling drugs for their own addiction, I find the risk unacceptable,” Mr Robinson said. 

“The risk to the community is paramount.

Mr Robinson said Smith, who has been addicted to drugs for about five years, was too high of a risk to be given bail and comply with bail conditions.

“The risk is too high he will not be able to comply with bail conditions,” he said.

“My role is to put the community first and it’s that risk why I refuse bail.

The court had been told on Tuesday police Smith remove a substance from his bag and snort it at the festival.

Smith ran when police tried to speak to him, before being caught with seven ziplock bags containing 0.5 grams of ketamine, one bag with 0.25 grams of ketamine, one gram of cocaine and 22 ecstasy capsules with 0.1 grams of the substance in each.

At his campsite, police found 20 ziplock bags of 0.5 grams of ketamine, three bags of cocaine containing one gram each, four blue valium tablets, five white dextroamphetamine tablets, one blue ecstasy pill and 77 ecstasy capsules containing 0.1 grams.

In submitting for appeal bail, Smith’s lawyer told the court her client’s five days in custody had been a wake-up call and he wanted to stop using drugs.

Smith’s appeal hearing will be held on a date to be fixed. He pleaded guilty to the drug charges.