A 48-year-old man is accused of driving around Wendouree in a car packed with drugs, weapons, jewellery and $64,400 of suspected drug money.
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Michael Robb is claiming he has nothing to do with the substantial amount of cash allegedly found in the boot of his car, claiming instead, he found it covered in debris along the Yarrowee River Trail.
The Delacombe man appeared by a video link at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Wednesday to get a sentence indication on 11 charges.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Steve Kent said Robb was a passenger in a Toyota Aurion sedan, which police sighted on Grevillea Road at 4.45am on January 31.
He said the driver drove the car erratically after seeing the police and he quickly turned into Forest Street. Officers thought the pair were avoiding them, so they pulled them over.
The driver told police the car belonged to Robb and he was driving because Robb's licence had been disqualified, the court was told.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kent said 2.46 grams of methamphetamine was located in Robb's shoe and he was carrying $805 cash and two mobile phones.
He said a search of the Aurion footwell revealed an orange plastic bag containing two hunting knives, nunchucks and a taser.
Police allegedly located a digital camera, small zip-lock bag containing eight grams of cannabis and a black bag containing five zip-lock bags of methamphetamine.
Leading Senior Constable Kent said a total of 10.56 grams of ice was discovered, which is more than three times the traffickable quantity.
He said a yellow plastic container with $64,400 in $100 and $50 notes and zip-lock bags filled with various pieces of jewellery, believed to be stolen, was located in the spare tyre compartment.
Text messages indicated Robb was allegedly involved in dealing drugs while the camera memory card showed pictures of a large amount of cash had been taken on December 30.
Leading Senior Constable Kent said police found two high intensity tasers after searching Robb's house.
He said Robb was co-operative with police, telling officers he bought the Toyota Aurion with cash on the afternoon before his arrest. He made admissions to owning the drugs, cash and weapons.
Leading Senior Constable Kent said the accused told police he found the money and jewellery covered in debris along the Yarrowee River Trail months before his arrest, but he did not report it to the police.
The jewellery included rings, brooches and necklaces and has not yet been valued.
Defence lawyer Matt McLellan said his client disputed the prosecution's allegation the large amount of cash was from trafficking drugs.
But he said if Robb accepted a sentence indication, his client would need a therapeutic sentence such as a community corrections order.
"It has been quite some time since he had a therapeutic sentence. I would ask for a combination sentence of a CCO and prsion," Mr McLellan said.
He said Robb, a father of three, had spent 181 days in custody and had stable accommodation in Melbourne when released from prison.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose said Robb was looking at a significant period of imprisonment.
"There is a significant amount of cash, significant amount of trafficking, significant amount of items found at his house. But when you look at his priors ... it would be a significant term of imprisonment," Ms Toose said.
A magistrate is not required to specify the length of imprisonment when providing a sentence indication to an accused person.
Robb did not accept the court's sentence indication and he was remanded in custody until August 26.
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