A former winemaker who had a successful career in California appeared in court for drug possession after he was found unresponsive in his car.
Aaron William Murphy, 40, on Tuesday pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court to possession of cocaine and possession of meth.
Police prosecutions said on August 2, 2022, at about 9.50pm, police located Murphy asleep in a car in a car park at BP Little River and conducted a welfare check.
The court was told Murphy was unresponsive and couldn’t be roused when they knocked on the windows of the car.
When police removed him from the vehicle, they also discovered a number of drug paraphernalia items inside the driver’s door and also found a clear glass bottle containing two grams of cocaine and aluminium foil containing meth.
Aaron William Murphy outside the Geelong Magistrates’ Court.
Murphy was taken back to the police station where he made full admissions to possessing the drugs.
Murphy’s lawyer said his client was previously involved in winemaking in California.
The court heard Murphy also had a degree in chemistry and came from an affluent family.
“Since 2018 his life has changed dramatically after he collided with a van which resulted in significant injuries and he was forced to give up work,” he said.
The court was told the accident in 2018 resulted in profound injuries and had an impact on Murphy’s functioning and as a result he developed a dependency on opioids and other substances.
Magistrate Michelle Hodgson said the quantity of drugs which had been found in his possession was clearly indicative of personal use.
Murphy was fined $400. No convictions were recorded.
Loading embed…