A young Launceston man who ran a lucrative drug empire from his suburban home has walked free from court, despite making almost $100,000 selling MDMA, cocaine and steroids to more than 100 customers.
Thomas Lincoln Marlow, 24, was last week handed a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended, by a Supreme Court judge.
Justice Robert Pearce said the decision took into account Marlow’s age, clean criminal record and rehabilitation efforts since his April 2023 arrest brought an end to his 16-month trafficking operation.
“You should clearly understand that you have come very close to being sent to prison and you are unlikely to be extended such lenience a second time,” the judge warned.
The court heard Marlow went from being a gym-obsessed young man funding his own drug habit to a sophisticated dealer running what the judge described as a “commercial and systematic” enterprise.
When police raided his Launceston home, they found 184 grams of MDMA worth up to $34,000, as well as cocaine, cannabis and anabolic steroids.
The drugs were packaged in snap-lock bags alongside digital scales and $3,445 in cash.
Between December 2021 and April 2023, Marlow received 513 electronic transfers totalling $99,730 from 112 buyers. Phone records also revealed sales to at least 20 customers.
“The value of all the drugs sold by you during the trafficking period cannot be established,” Justice Pearce observed, suggesting the true scale exceeded even these substantial figures.
Marlow initially told police the drugs were for personal use, but the court heard the evidence against him was overwhelming.
His phone contained detailed records of debts and text messages confirming regular sales of party drugs and performance enhancers.
Since his arrest, Marlow has moved to Victoria, where he is studying exercise science and nutrition at Deakin University.
Justice Pearce said the court was prioritising rehabilitation over immediate jail time but still imposed financial penalties exceeding $113,000, including forfeiture of drug profits and analysis costs.
Under the suspended sentence, any imprisonable offence within the next two years will see Marlow serve the full 12 months behind bars.
