Matthew Bainbridge stands accused of being the kingpin in a Border ice syndicate that had already made a $175,000 profit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That was one of the main reasons why magistrate Tony Murray refused bail for the accused drug dealer.
Bainbridge did not sob on Monday afternoon like he did when he was first refused by a bail justice in Albury Local Court on Friday.
But he did try to interject and plead his case by audio-visual link from Junee jail when it was clear his bid for freedom had failed again.
Mr Murray quickly shut the West Albury man down as he finished outlining his reasons.
“I do note the nature of the offences the defendant has been charged with,” he said.
Mr Murray said the accusations – the 21-year-old faces 112 charges – were over the commercial supply of methamphetamine.
Bainbridge was accused of being responsible, he said, for the supply of a large amount of the drug “in the local area for a considerable period of time”.
The police facts indicated this alleged illicit supply was “highly profitable”.
Mr Murray said Bainbridge faced years in jail – “not months” – if convicted.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Shannon Lewis said it was a commercial quantity because the allegations involved 559.96 grams of ice.
Albury police have previously claimed more than $500,000 of ice had been prevented from hitting Border streets after arrests by Albury’s task force Boromi, Wodonga’s task force Irontrain and the Melbourne Fawkner Drug Unit.
Twelve people were arrested, including Bainbridge and his girlfriend of two months, Montana Elouise Crawford.
Crawford secured bail on Friday and appeared briefly again on Monday.
Both must reappear in court on December 14.
Several others allegedly involved in the syndicate appeared in Wodonga Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Haval Kada, 29, has been charged with three counts of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs, two counts of trafficking methamphetamine, ice and cocaine possession and dealing with property suspected of being the proceeds of crime.
He was remanded in custody and will face a committal mention at the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on January 19.
His brother, Hadil Kada, is facing similar charges and will appear on the same date after being arrested in Melbourne last week.
Angela Bowen had her matter adjourned to reappear on Tuesday.