By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
(precede) The Dandenong Magistrates’ Court deals with an endless parade of people in trouble with the law as a consequence of their ice addiction. Last week the News was in court when the sad tale of a father-to-be allegely caught in the grip of ice came before magistrate Lesley Fleming. Cameron Lucadou-Wells reports.
A FORMER IT worker and father-to-be in the grip of a “raging” ice habit was refused bail for drug trafficking and possession offences after failing to find an immediate residential rehab placement.
At a bail application hearing last week, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told that Christopher Fernandez, 33, of Keysborough, had started using methamphetamine – also known as ‘ice’ – to help him work long hours as an IT consultant.
Last week, Fernandez, with no prior convictions, was unemployed, facing multiple drug charges and locked in remand as his pregnant wife of two years was reportedly having contractions.
His wife had reportedly told police that until a year ago “life was normal”.
Fernandez’s father, a successful engineer, wept as he told the court his son was “doing extremely” well as an engineer before his addiction.
The father regretted he hadn’t done more to save his son earlier.
“I’ve done so much for helping other people but have not helped my son.”
He pledged $50,000 surety and to provide a supportive safe haven for his son and his family at his Bangholme farmhouse.
Defence lawyer Michael Kelly, arguing for his client’s release on bail, produced a letter from a Toorak residential rehab clinic that stated Fernandez could start treatment “within days”.
Magistrate Lesley Fleming denied bail because Fernandez was “an unacceptable risk to the community”.
“He is in the grip of a raging drug addiction. If he was moved to residential detox (immediately) that would allay my concerns.”
Fernandez was seeking bail after police allegedly found substances believed to be ecstacy, crystal methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate, otherwise known as ‘grievous bodily harm’, in his car at a Dandenong North service station about 2.22am on Sunday 15 September.
Police also found nine mobile phones, a “large number” of phone SIM cards, crack pipes and a straw with traces of crystal-meth and $534 in cash.
At the time he was on two counts of bail after being twice charged in the past 11 months for drug possession and trafficking offences, drug-driving, handling stolen goods and proceeds-of-crime offences.
Constable Alex Branting told the court Fernandez was a frequent methamphetamine user but denied he was trafficking the narcotics.
He said Fernandez had been recently out late at night on a “number of occasions” and often missing prenatal hospital appointments with his wife.
“(His wife) stated that up to a year ago everything was normal. About a year ago, his behaviour started changing,” Constable Branting said.
“She is concerned about his wellbeing. It’s the first time he’s been in custody.”
On 25 October, Fernandez was bailed after being allegedly found in his car with a food container with five grams of crystal meth and a perfume bottle containing GHB in a Keysborough entertainment venue’s car park.
On 23 June Fernandez allegedly crashed his car into a tree on the corner of Monkhouse Drive and Goodjohn Court, Endeavour Hills.
Cannabis and “deal bags” containing “a white crystal substance”, and several laptops and mobile phones were found in the car.
A police search of his house uncovered desktop computers, mobile phones, computer tablets, pills, crystal methamphetamine and $3110 cash.
Some of the electrical equipment was allegedly stolen.
Fernandez is due to reappear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 16 October.
