Rebels bikie gets jail for drug
offences but sentence suspended
Friday, 4 February 2005
A FORMER president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club
Bendigo chapter who was involved in a conspiracy to traffic drugs was
yesterday sentenced to 19 months' jail.
But Paul John Maher walked from the Bendigo County
Court a free man, having already served 410 days of the sentence - the
remainder of which was suspended.
Maher, 40, of Nyah West, had earlier pleaded guilty to
eight charges including conspiracy to traffic methamphetamines, incitement
to inflict serious injury and possess and cultivate cannabis.
Two of Maher's co-offenders - Robert Edward Hudson, of
Warrnambool and Anthony Lewis Russell, of Launceston, also each pleaded
guilty to one charge of conspiracy to traffic methylamphetamine's.
In the Bendigo County Court yesterday, Hudson received
a nine month suspended sentence, while Russell received a 12-month suspended
sentence.
The court was told that in early 2002, Bendigo
Regional Response Unit police launched an investigation into suspected
trafficking and manufacturing of drugs in the area.
Maher - who was at the time president of the Bendigo
chapter of the Rebels Motorcycle Club - was the focus of the investigation.
Numerous conversations between Maher and other
co-accused were monitored by police.
The content of those conversations, including code
names for chemicals used to manufacture drugs, formed the basis of the
conspiracy charge, the court heard.
In sentencing the trio yesterday, Judge Elizabeth
Curtain took into consideration their pleas of guilty and the age of the
offences.
She said while their conspiracy was "relatively
short-lived," it was still a serious offence.
The court was told conspiring to traffick drugs
carried a maximum penalty of 15 years' jail.
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