STATE OF TASMANIA v ZIGGY JAMES PHILLIPS 10 December 2025
COMMENTS ON PASSING SENTENCE JAGO J
Ziggy James Phillips, you have pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in a controlled substance. I am also dealing with related summary charges of possess a firearm when not the holder of a firearm licence of the appropriate category, possess shortened firearm, possess ammunition when not the holder of the appropriate firearm licence, conveying a firearm contrary to the prescribed safety requirements, conveying ammunition contrary to the prescribed safety requirements, and use a controlled drug, namely methyl amphetamine.
The trafficking charge relates to a period between 1 June and 1 August 2024, so a relatively brief two-month period. During this time, you sold methyl amphetamine on behalf of another person, Mr Jye Donoghue. Mr Donoghue has been sentenced for his role in the trafficking business on 3 September 2025 by Cuthbertson J. In my view, parity is not a matter which attracts much weight in formulating your sentence as Mr Donoghue’s role in the trafficking enterprise was far more extensive than yours.
Your involvement in trafficking was initially discovered when police intercepted a motor vehicle you were driving on 1 August 2024. Located within the vehicle was a Cadbury chocolate wrapper containing 15 grams of methyl amphetamine. You were arrested. You subsequently participated in a record of interview. During that interview, you were not completely frank with police. You told them you had last used methyl amphetamine a couple of days earlier but denied that you had put the methyl amphetamine into the car. Police subsequently searched Mr Donoghue’s address at Parkham. A large number of items were seized from that residence, consistent with Mr Donoghue being involved in a trafficking business. Amongst the items seized was a sawn off .22 riffle, wrapped in a vacuum sealed bag and hidden under the front doorstep of the property. Also located with the firearm were 28 rounds of .22 ammunition.
Within the house were various quantities of methyl amphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, further quantities of ammunition and other material consistent with the operation of a drug trafficking business. Mr Donoghue was arrested. He was subsequently interviewed and made admissions regarding the transportation, sale, and distribution of methyl amphetamine, some of it in conjunction with you. Later that day, you were interviewed again. During this interview, you said that you had only known Mr Donoghue for a few months and that you had been living with him for a little over a month. You said you had been transporting drugs for Mr Donoghue for a period of about two months in return for being able to live at his residence. You said you had been transporting the methyl amphetamine to areas in northern Tasmania and would deliver various amounts of drugs, ranging from a half weight or five street deals, known as points, through to half ounces, and ounces. You estimated that over the last two months, there had been approximately 22 days on which you had transported drugs and that in total, you thought that you had conducted between 66-120 transportations and had delivered approximately $100,000 worth of drugs. You said the items you transported were always wrapped in cryovac. You also admitted to police that you had collected a firearm for Mr Donoghue from Burnie, although you said at the point of collecting it, you did not appreciate what it was. You admitted, however, to digging a hole under the front doorstep of the residence and later placing the firearm into it. It is not asserted that the firearm was connected to the drug trafficking business. You said that in return for your involvement in Mr Donoghue’s business, you were able to live with him and you also received methyl amphetamine which you used personally.
At the time of this crime, you were 22 years of age, so still relatively young. You had no prior convictions. You are now 23. You have grown up in circumstances of significant disadvantage. Both your parents were drug addicts. Your family home was chaotic. You left school during Year 7 because of difficulties within the family home. At the age of 13, you were introduced to illicit substances by your father and you quickly became dependent upon them. Your upbringing also exposed you to others within the drug world, and at one point, you were the victim of serious violence by drug users. You have suffered from significant mental health difficulties from an early age, but because of your chaotic upbringing, these conditions were never recognised, and you have never received appropriate treatment for them. To your credit, you had obtained work during your teenage years in a bakery, but your mental health difficulties meant this work was hard to sustain long term. You have experienced considerable periods of homelessness.
In 2024, you came to Tasmania to be with your sister. It was through her that you met Mr Donoghue. He was your sister’s partner for a period. When they separated, you were unable to live with your sister and became homeless. Mr Donoghue offered you somewhere to live in return for you transporting drugs for him.
I take into account your plea of guilty and your co-operation with police. Your role in this enterprise was far less than Mr Donoghue’s. You were involved for a short period of time, although in that time, it does appear as though you transported and delivered a considerable quantity of methyl amphetamine. There is no evidence that you profited from this business, save for being provided with accommodation and some methyl amphetamine for personal use.
I am told you are very eager to obtain assistance to address both your long-term drug difficulties and your mental health issues. You have been working with a programme known as “Country Wellness Connections Mental Health Programme”. I have received a report from the mental health case manager associated with that programme. The report indicates that you have engaged well, have demonstrated a genuine desire to improve your mental health and confirms you are working hard to abstain from both alcohol and drug use.
Any conduct which involves the dissemination of drugs into the community is a serious matter. Undoubtedly, illicit drugs cause great harm to not only individuals, but to the community at large. They are frequently linked with further crime, often involving dishonesty and violence. Given your upbringing, you should have a deep understanding of such. General deterrence is always an important sentencing consideration in a matter of this nature. I am satisfied, however, that given your vulnerabilities and the work that you have been doing since being detected, I can adopt a more individualised sentencing approach. You appear genuine in your desire to better yourself and given your still young age, the community is best served by giving your rehabilitation precedence. In my view, a period of imprisonment is necessary to mark the seriousness of the criminal conduct, but I am going to wholly suspend that period of imprisonment to encourage you to continue with your rehabilitation. I will also make a Community Correction Order to provide you with some support.
I make the following orders. You are convicted of all crimes and offences to which you have pleaded guilty. In respect to the use methyl amphetamine charge, I make no further order. Otherwise, I impose one sentence. You are sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 12 months. The execution of that period of imprisonment will be wholly suspended on condition that for a period of 18 months you commit no offence punishable by imprisonment.
I also impose a Community Correction order, with an operational period of 12 months. The statutory core conditions of a Community Correction order are imposed. Those conditions will be set out in a document that will be provided to you. In summary, they will include the following conditions that will apply for the entire operational period:
- You must not commit an offence punishable by imprisonment;
- You must report to a probation officer as required by the probation officer;
- You must comply with the reasonable and lawful directions of a probation officer or a supervisor;
- You must not leave or remain outside of Tasmania without the permission of a probation officer;
- You must give notice to a probation officer of any change of address or employment before or within two working days after the change;
- You must if directed to do so, attend participate in and complete the Equips addiction program;
- You must undergo assessment and treatment for drug and/or alcohol dependency or treatment as directed by a probation officer;
- You must submit to medical or psychological or psychiatric assessment or treatment, or psychological or mental health counselling, or indeed any of those, if directed to do so by a probation officer; and
- You must attend and participate in drug or alcohol counselling if directed to do so by a probation officer.
I order that you report to Community Corrections Launceston by close of business tomorrow, Thursday, 11 December 2025.
I order forfeiture of the 15grams of methyl amphetamine.