A Wagga magistrate has warned a teenager that he could end up throwing his life away if he does not stop associating with negative influences.
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Kooringal man Jack Mulqueenie, 19, pleaded guilty to six charges in Wagga’s Local Court on Wednesday, including possessing prohibited drugs and assaulting a police officer.
According to a police report, Mulqueenie was stopped by officers in Turvey Park at about 2pm on Anzac Day this year after they recognised him as a close associate of a known Wagga drug dealer.
When the officers asked to search Mulqueenie’s backpack, he pushed one officer in the chest and ran.
Police pursued Mulqueenie and, after a short struggle in nearby bushland, handcuffed him.
Upon searching his backpack, police found four resealable plastic bags of a crystalline substance, six yellow pills, and a green “vegetable matter”.
They also discovered a small explosive-like device with match sticks sticking out of the top and a small amounts of gun powder inside it.
Mulqueenie appeared before magistrate Erin Kennedy on Wednesday and was supported by his grandmother in court.
Ms Kennedy challenged Mulqueenie to think about how his actions would affect his family if he did not change his attitude towards drugs.
“When your grandma is prepared to come, that’s saying a lot, but I think you need to be spending a bit more time with her and getting a bit more guidance from her,” Ms Kennedy said.
“If you can’t be bothered doing it for yourself, do it for your grandma.”
Noting his very young age and his clean record, Ms Kennedy also urged Mulqueenie to not fall into a pattern of re-offending.
“I can’t tell you the number of people who turn up here and they’re 50 and they’ve forgotten to have a life – all because of drugs,” she said.
“Maybe it’s time you start looking at who you’re associating with and what you want for your life.”
Ms Kennedy asked Mulqueenie to register for the Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT) program.
He will reappear before Wagga’s Local Court on June 25 to update the magistrate on his progress.
