Karratha cousins go to jail for meth haul

Two cousins found guilty of attempting to bring 499g of meth into Karratha in 2018 will spend more than five years in prison. Staum and Vaughn Selwyn appeared before Perth District Court last Thursday for sentencing after their nine-day trial in Karratha concluded on February 11. A third man, Rangitukehu Noble, was found not guilty of aiding the attempt after a judge ruled in favour of a no-case submission by his lawyer. Police stopped a Ford Ranger on October 19, 2018 — owned by Mr Noble — driven by Vaughn Selwyn, with Michael Hirini as a passenger, on North West Coastal Highway 55km south of Karratha. The prosecution told court meth was found in two vacuum-sealed bags concealed in a light green swag in the ute tray during the vehicle stop. Police searched Staum Selwyn’s property on October 25, where they said drug paraphernalia was found. Hirini pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a traffickable quantity of meth in 2019 and is yet to be sentenced. Judge John Prior sentenced Staum Selwyn to eight years in prison, backdated to October 20, while Vaughn Selwyn was jailed for seven and a half years back-dated to October 21. Mr Prior said it was a planned, organised and group activity to obtain and bring methylamphetamine to Karratha for commercial benefit. “The evidence of Sergeant Vanderplank was that if the methamphetamine found by the police was sold as is, that is in the half kilogram amount, it was worth $60 to $70,000,” he said. “But if sold in very small amounts of sale, the sales could recover up to half a million dollars.” Mr Prior said the men had been on bail for two years and had complied with the bail conditions. “These factors, therefore, indicate to me you are both trying to rehabilitate yourselves,” he said. Staum Selwyn will be eligible for parole after six years, while Vaughn Selwyn is eligible for parole in five years and six months.