by Luke Voogt
A Torquay personal trainer busted with large quantities of drugs he intended to sell to Schoolies has avoided jail time.
A magistrate instead fined Nathaniel Findlay $300 and placed him on an 18-month community corrections order.
The corrections order included unpaid community service, rehabilitation treatment and judicial monitoring, Geelong Magistrates’ Court confirmed on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old fronted the court again that day after pleading guilty to multiple drug trafficking charges on Monday afternoon.
Police seized “extremely large” amounts of ketamine, ecstasy and cannabis during an early morning drug bust on Monday.
Geelong High Risk Youth Unit officers were patrolling Lorne when they saw the car parked on the side of a street about 100m from the Great Ocean Road.
According to a police social media page, the car was parked on the side of the road without its lights on and two men were loitering nearby.
The two men fled when officers approached while Findlay sped away without turning the car’s headlights on, police said.
“Police followed the vehicle onto Smith St, where it accelerated away.”
Police arrested Findlay after he crashed his car into a tree while a male passenger in the car fled the scene.
A Victoria Police spokesperson told the Indy on Tuesday afternoon the male passenger was still at large.
Officers searched the car finding “extremely large” amounts of ketamine, ecstasy, cannabis, deal bags and more than $1700 in cash, police alleged.
“These drugs and cash were hidden within various locations within the vehicle in various containers,” the post read.
Findlay admitted to police that he and several associates had been selling drugs to youths attending Schoolies celebrations in Lorne, Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard.
Geelong police this week urged parents to maintain regular contact with their children at Schoolies to check on their welfare and warn them about drugs.
“This is a timely warning for everyone involved at Schoolies,” the police post stated.
“Police will continue to pro-actively target any person who thinks Schoolies is a place to supply and traffic illicit substances.”
Thousands of young adult school leavers flocked to Lorne and other Surf Coast towns as Schoolies began over the weekend.
Priority Communities Division Acting Commander Murray Fraser warned police would increase patrols along foreshores, around licensed venues and near accommodation to target alcohol-fuelled violence, drug offences and anti-social behaviour.
“While the majority of schoolies do the right thing, we are continuing to see a small number of school leavers involved in dangerous behaviour,” A/Cmdr Fraser said.
“We will not tolerate any behaviour that negatively impacts the community.”
Schoolies officially runs in Victoria from 23 November to 8 December.
