Teen trafficked drugs to save home: court

COURT: George Peauafi Palelei. Source: The Courier-Mail

A YEAR 12 graduate trafficked drugs to high school leavers during last year's Gold Coast Schoolies festivities to raise money to avoid being evicted from his family home, a court has been told.

The Brisbane District Court was told US-born teenager George Peauafi Palelai committed a string of criminal offences between November 9 and 27 last year in the hope of raising money to help out his cash-strapped dad.

The court was Palelai, as part of his criminal fundraising enterprise, trafficked marijuana to Schoolies revellers at Surfers Paradise over an eight day period.

Palelai, 19, was today handed a two year wholly suspended jail term after pleading guilty to a charge of drug trafficking.

He was also sentenced to 18 months probation and 80 hours community service for a string of other offences including two burglaries.

Prosecutor Jennifer O'Brien said Palelai, of Moorooka, was found in possession of 150 grams of marijuana, $88 in cash and a sales "tick sheet'' when arrested.

She said the drugs had been found in 112 ready-for-sale plastic clip-sealed bags.

The court was told Palelai admitted he had been given the drugs, by an unnamed third party, and had sold a number of bags during Schoolies.

Ms O'Brien said Palelai also acted as a look-out while two accomplices broke into two houses at Forest Lake, west of Brisbane, and used his own identification to fraudulently sell stolen equipment to a pawnbroker.

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Teen trafficked drugs to save home: court