Broome man Paul William Nicholson, 31, jailed six years and three months for smuggling 140 grams of meth

A high speed chase to evade police in an effort to smuggle 140 grams of methamphetamine into Broome has resulted in a lengthy jail sentence for a 31-year-old Broome man. Paul William Nicholson was sentenced in the Broome District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply. The court was told Nicholson had hired a Toyota Prado through another person and drove to Perth from Broome last October where he picked up the methamphetamine and intended on transporting it to the Kimberley town to supply to others. He was also expected to meet an associate on the Great Northern Highway between Port Hedland and Broome, where detectives attempted to intercept Nicholson. As Nicholson drove in a northerly direction on the Great Northern Highway and saw an unmarked police car, he made a U-turn and sped off in a southerly direction, reaching speeds in excess of 170km/h. The court was also told Nicholson threw several items through the driver’s window in an effort to evade police during the pursuit. As police made the decision to abort the pursuit due to Nicholson’s reckless driving, Nicholson continued driving and eventually hid the methamphetamine in bushland between Bidyadanga and Broome. The next day police found the hired Toyota Prado abandoned near Barn Hill, located 140kms south of Broome, but did not find the methamphetamine. Nicholson was arrested several hours later when he was riding in another car with his partner. Several months later, Nicholson was driving a Nissan Navara along Broome Road while on bail for the first offence when he was pulled over by police in a targeted vehicle stop. During the search, officers located a soft sunglasses pouch secured by an elastic band to Nicholson’s genitals, which contained five clip seal bags each containing a total of 18.96 grams of methamphetamine wrapped in tissue paper and secured with elastic bands. In a police interview, Nicholson admitted to being a heavy user of methamphetamine but denied he was selling the drug to fund his own use. In submissions, it was noted Nicholson had been a heavy user of methamphetamine for 13 years and it was conceded he was dealing on a commercial basis. However, it was submitted Nicholson had time to reflect and detoxify from his heavy drug use since he was taken into custody. Nicholson was jailed for a total of six years and three months and was fined more than $8,000 and had his licence disqualified for two years during his Magistrate’s Court sentencing for reckless driving, failing to comply with a direction to stop and drug possession. Upon the conclusion of his sentencing in the Magistrate’s Court, Nicholson silently waved goodbye to his mother as he was taken into custody. He will be eligible for parole in March 2024.