A North Albury drug dealer denied the cash stash in his drawer was from him plying his trade.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Instead, Kristen Roy Stephens told police it was money leant to him by his disabled mum.
She had given him $1150, Albury Local Court was told on Monday. Every note was a $50 bill.
Despite his denial about the cash during a police interview, Stephens readily admitted to several charges that resulted from that day the police searched his home.
Stephens pleaded guilty to supply or knowingly take part in the supply of prohibited drugs, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime, possession of equipment for administering prohibited drugs and possess a prohibited drug.
A second count of possess a prohibited drug was withdrawn.
Stephens entered his plea after an amended set of police facts were agreed to by his solicitor, Joy Kirby.
This reduced the number of MDMA tablets, or ecstasy, found at Stephen’s home.
The court was told how police went to the house he shared with his partner in Matra Place on July 10 at 12.40pm.
Stephens told them he had a “quantity” of cannabis in his bedroom.
The police cautioned Stephens before searching the bedroom, uncovering 236 grams of cannabis, 3.5 MDMA tablets and the cash.
This was all in his bedside drawer.
Stephens said the cannabis and MDMA were for his personal use.
He then admitted to police that he used a bong they found for smoking cannabis.
Stephens next told them that the cash was given to him by his disabled mother.
But he then agreed a mobile phone they found was his.
The phone was full of texts containing “drug messages” that made clear Stephens was active in the supply of prohibited drugs.
Magistrate Tony Murray ordered a pre-sentence report, warning Stephens there were several non-jail options he could not choose if the defendant failed to have the assessment done.
Stephens will be sentenced on December 15.
