Man jailed for ‘escalating’ drugs and gun offending

Rex Martinich | July 3, 2023

A Queensland man who continued dealing drugs and was caught with a sawn-off rifle while on bail has been jailed for at least seven-and-a-half months.

Daniel Alexander Leis, 31, faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for sentencing after pleading guilty to supplying methylamphetamine, five counts of drug possession, a firearms charge and nine other minor drug-related charges.

Leis was searched by police on August 14, 2021 at Loganlea, south of Brisbane and found to be in possession of about 22 grams of substance that was 72 per cent pure meth, a small quantity of the hallucinogenic drug LSD, about $1000 in cash and six tablets.

Crown prosecutor Mitch Whelan said Leis’s phone also contained evidence he had completed a deal to sell just over seven grams of meth.

Leis was again searched by police on January 7, 2022 at Mango Hill, south of Brisbane.

“Five nights after being granted bail he was found with two bags, one with an ounce (28.3g) of substance and the other with six grams of meth with relatively high purity of 74 to 75 per cent,” Mr Whelan said.

After seven months on bail, Leis was driving a vehicle that was stopped by police on October 7 at Mango Hill, south of Brisbane.

“He obstructed his arrest, he tried to restart the car … police found 14 grams of (76 per cent pure meth),” Mr Whelan said.

Police also found 125 millilitres of the GBL precursor to the drug GHB and a shortened, pump-action rim-fire rifle with one used and one unused round of ammunition.

Mr Whelan said Leis had possessed drugs for both personal use and commercial sale and it called for a five-year sentence.

“He did not have significant history before, this is an escalation and the drugs were destined for distribution,” Mr Whelan said.

Leis’s barrister, Scott Lynch, said his client was contrite and regretted the impact on his parents, who were in court to support him.

Mr Lynch suggested a sentence of four years.

“He was under a lot of stress and owed money … he needed a stick in the spokes to get clean and clear his head, which he has,” Mr Lynch said.

Justice Paul Freeburn said he accepted Leis was addicted to drugs at the time of his offending and would reduce the maximum penalty he could face from 25 to 20 years’ imprisonment.

“Those are very serious penalties. It says a lot about how society views these offences and how much damage they do,” Justice Freeburn said.

He said Leis had entered early guilty pleas but it was also “concerning” that he had carried a rifle that was capable of firing a bullet.

Leis was sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment and will be eligible for parole on February 17 due to time served.

Leis was also ordered to forfeit three mobile phones and $1370 in cash.