A worker who has pleaded guilty to cultivating a commercial quantity of a prohibited plant and drug supply did it for financial gain, Dubbo District Court has heard.
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Jamie Bryan Dunn, 36, took to the witness stand at his own sentence hearing.
When questioned by the Crown about why he took the actions, the Dubbo man reflected on his life at the time.
“I don’t know to be honest,” Jamie Dunn said.
I was hoping to make enough money to buy a house.
- Jamie Dunn
“I was making poor decisions at the time.
“I was hoping to make enough money to buy a house.”
Co-accused Gregory Joseph Dunn, 55, of Dubbo appeared before Judge Philip Ingram in the same hearing on Thursday after earlier pleading guilty to cultivating a commercial quantity of a prohibited plant, and use, consume or waste electricity without authority.
Jamie Dunn, who has been in custody since his arrest in February 2017, sat in the dock, and Gregory Dunn, who was granted bail in April 2017, sat nearby.
Jamie Dunn gave evidence about his work history.
He took on his first job as a teen, and in the past had been a heavy vehicle mechanic, building labourer and truck driver, among other roles, but had faced health issues at times, he said.
The court heard of his efforts to turn his life around while on remand at Wellington, and that he had two job offers on foot.
“I worked my whole life religiously,” he said.
“I want to go back to work, go back to normal.”
I want to go back to work, go back to normal.
- Jamie Dunn
Jamie Dunn’s defence conceded his role was not at the bottom of the scale.
His barrister said while his client had committed the offences “for financial gain”, he had not been involved in the set-up, and was not the lessee or owner.
The Crown prosecutor submitted the appropriate sentence was full-time custody, with there being a need for general deterrence.
Counsel for Gregory Dunn said it had to be conceded his client played a “significant and essential role”.
Gregory Dunn had grown up at Peak Hill and spent much of his life at Dubbo, the court heard.
His referees spoke highly of him and he was “a man of unblemished prior good character”, his barrister said.
Gregory Dunn had good prospects of rehabilitation and had found new employment while on bail, he said.
The Crown submitted Gregory Dunn’s offending was not at the lower end of the range, with him being the person who had authority for the premises and allowed the activity to take place.
The matter was adjourned until September 20.
