Meth tearing at Geraldton's heart: Magistrate

Methamphetamines have taken over Geraldton and are tearing its heart apart, according to a magistrate.

Magistrate Donna Webb made the comments today in Geraldton Magistrate's Court, when declaring a Geraldton father-of-two a drug trafficker and sentencing him to five months jail.

She said amphetamines were a chronic problem in Geraldton.

“It is destroying the community,” she said.

“Dealing amphetamines seems to be the way of the world up here, Australia-wide actually.

“Meth has taken over this town and is tearing the heart of this town apart.”

Corey Godfrey Whitby, 34, appeared before the court via video-link from Greenough Regional Prison.

Whitby, a sentenced prisoner, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and possession of stolen of unlawfully obtained property.

He is currently serving an 11 month sentence, imposed by the District Court in November last year, for a charge of dangerous driving to escape pursuit.

The court heard Whitby was driving when he was stopped by police in Utakarra on April 9, 2015.

He was taken into custody and searched, and found in possession of a clip seal bag containing methamphetamine and $1940 cash, suspected to be proceeds from the sale of drugs.

This is Whitby’s third conviction for possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and he was therefore declared a drug trafficker.

Whitby’s sentence was made concurrent with his District Court sentence and he may only have to serve an additional few weeks.