IT began with a triple-zero call about an intruder and a stolen motorbike that backfired when police instead uncovered a large stash of cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and cash.
And now a young drug dealer, given a chance only two years ago when he was caught running a smaller operation, has been jailed for a maximum of eight years.
Harley Merritt, 25, was living in the back shed of his father's house at Fern Bay when his partner called police to report a man wearing a black ski mask had broken in and stolen a Kawasaki motorbike about 4.30am on April 13 last year.
Responding police established a crime scene, but began investigating a completely different crime after they were given consent to search the shed.
Inside, police uncovered 2.9kg of MDMA, 618 grams of cocaine, 4kg of cannabis leaf, 1.3kg of psilocybin mushrooms, smaller quantities of dexamfetamine, ketamine and LSD and $14,910 in cash.
Merritt, who at the time of his arrest was serving an intensive corrections order for running a similar one-stop drug stop in 2022, was put behind bars and, earlier this year, pleaded guilty to a string of charges, including three counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of drugs.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Merritt's partner called triple-zero in the early hours of April 13 to say a man was inside the shed looking for money and keys to a motorbike.
The man shone a torch on the pair and threatened them before rolling a Kawasaki out of the shed and taking off.
Police arrived about 5.10am and Merritt showed them to the shed where he said he had been confronted.
Police established a crime scene and more police arrived at 8am, when a member of Merritt's family gave consent for officers to search the shed.
Merritt was spoken to by police and told them there was a "little bit of pot" in the shed, that he was "holding for some people" and that it was a "fair bit".
He also said there was a "couple of ounces of cocaine and about a kilo of MDMA" and that he had a debt of about $30,000 and was being forced to hold the drugs to pay it off.
Merritt then took police through the shed, pointing out where large quantities of drugs were stored.
Police also found a drug transaction book, multiple mobile phones, cocaine purity testing kits, supplements, prescription medications and cash.
Merritt was arrested and charged.
In 2022, he had been arrested and accused of operating as a street-level drug dealer, supplying cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin.
But within three months he had breached his bail and was taken behind bars after he was arrested at Hamilton South and found with ice, cocaine, cannabis and a machete.
He spent more than a year on remand before he was sentenced in Newcastle District Court in February 2024 and placed on a three-year intensive correction order.
But after his release, it appears Merritt's drug supply business only got bigger.
And after his arrest at Fern Bay in April 2025, Merritt was jailed in Newcastle District Court for a maximum of eight years, with a non-parole period of four years.
With time served, he will be eligible for parole in October, 2029.
