Trent Kaurin, 35, given seven-month suspended jail term for 16 charges related to drug dealing

The nephew of former Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray has been given a seven-month suspended prison sentence and fined $950 for selling methamphetamine and having unregistered firearms.

Trent Kaurin, 35, was sentenced in Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday for 16 separate charges, including three counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, one count of possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and one count of use of an unlicensed vehicle, among others.

Kaurin was initially arrested on suspicion during a traffic stop on Ferguson Road in Collie in February after police noticed the licence plates on the motorcycle he was riding were not registered and that Kaurin was a disqualified driver with no motorcycle licence.

During the traffic stop, a neck knife fell out of Kaurin’s pocket which led police to search his backpack and pockets.

Kaurin told police he had a pen gun in his backpack as well as .22 calibre ammunition and a quantity of methamphetamine.

Police then searched Kaurin’s office at his home in Collie, which Kaurin referred to as a “stash room”, that contained more ammunition, three gel blasters, multiple bankcards, a burner phone, a set of scales and a further supply of methamphetamine.

Among these goods were three stolen CCTV security cameras in a shed, which Kaurin argued were dropped off at his house anonymously by people in the community because he is a qualified electrician of more than a decade who “likes to tinker”.

Magistrate Joe Randazzo in his sentencing said it was clear what Kaurin was doing despite numerous letters handed to the court vouching for his good character, including one from his uncle, former Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray.

“How is a man who is spoken about so positively in the community it seems clearly getting involved in what is clearly drug dealing?” he said.

The court accepted a defence plea for a lighter punishment, which highlighted that police had stressed he was cooperative and even thanked him for telling them about the gun in his backpack at the first instance.

Kaurin also pleaded guilty to all charges at the earliest possible convenience.

Kaurin was described by his counsel Twistie Venning as a “very friendly, very social man” who is a good partner and loved by his family and friends.

Kaurin’s psychological report detailed that he was “especially vulnerable to the influence of others” and began selling methamphetamines not for financial gain, but as a way of supplying it to his friends at a cheaper price.

Mr Venning said the only reason Kaurin had possession of the pen gun was a friend who was suffering domestic violence gave it to him to hold on to as a way of “eliminating a threat” from her house.

Kaurin will also have to undergo counselling as a part of his suspended prison term and all weapons in his possession will be forfeited.

“You’ve come very close to serving a full term today,” Magistrate Randazzo said.

“You’ve let yourself down, you’ve let your family down, you need to do better.”