Former Bachelorette Star Caught With Cannabis

A former Bachelorette “star” has managed to avoid prison after being caught driving a van carrying almost 150kg of cannabis to Queensland.

Samuel Minkin attended court at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Monday after he pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing a prohibited drug, as well as taking part in supplying a prohibited drug larger than a commercial quantity.

It was reported he was found with an encrypted device which consisted of platform An0m, used by criminals to communicate.

It was noted he was provided with this device on May 26th, 2021, which was used to communicate with another man asking him to pick him up from a property in Sunshine Victoria the following day.

During the drive back, the van broke down on the Hume Highway and he was told to get it towed to an address in Minto, in Sydney's southwest.

It was reported "a substitute van" had been organised and Samuel met the man on May 28th and begun driving to Queensland.

Police noticed the van around 5AM entering the M1 motorway, travelling north and quickly pulled it over.

Nine neatly wrapped boxes were located by police.

When asked about them, Samuel said they were "extra household stuff he picked up from Bondi. Basically rubbish."

He told police he had moved to Queensland and needed to sort out the final things left at his Bondi house as well as the bond.

“(Police) formed reasonable suspicions the vehicle may have contained drugs,” Judge Hunt told the court.

Samuel and the man with him denied knowing what was in the boxes the judge described as "packed neatly."

Turns out the boxes contained 322 vacuum sealed bags of cannabis leaf, totaling a weight of 144.247kg.

.035g of ketamine was also found in a bag that belonged to Samuel.

He was arrested and was relying on his right to silence before speaking with a lawyer.

He later explained he didn't know the amount of drugs exceeded 100kg, but knew it was more than 25kg.

“The agreed facts indicate this was the first time Mr Minkin had experience in couriering drugs on behalf of the syndicate,” Judge Hunt said.

The judge believes there was a level of sophistication in the offence due to the use of encrypted devices.

Minkin's role was described as an "important role, but a role that could be replaced."

“He is not indispensable in terms of his personal characteristics; he had the role of being a courier driver and there’s nothing to indicate he had any pre-existing involvement in the syndicate,” Judge Hunt said.

“(He had) a lack of naivety or lack of sophistication.”

The judge said he is a contributing member of the community and had glowing references from patients. He is a musculoskeletal therapist.

It was mentioned he has “limited social and media notoriety” after appearing in season six of the Bachelorette Australia, before being booted off the show early on.

“I am persuaded to have one’s reputation perhaps irretrievably linked to criminal misdeeds does more of the work of specific deterrence,” the judge said.

He was convicted on both counts and sentences to a two-year Intensive Corrections Order. Basically a prison sentence to be served within the community.

He was ordered to remain on good behaviour, and he now has to undertake 400 hours of community service.