Clifford Ah See faces Orange Local Court for drug offences

Clifford John Ah See, of Dalton Street, was found in possession of 0.3 grams of methamphetamine on March 25, 2023, when he was searched after causing a scene in Summer Street.

The 48-year-old is in custody having been refused bail for a hearing in December for a separate matter he's pleaded not guilty to .

He appeared in Orange Local Court via an audio visual link on Wednesday, November 8 to be sentenced for the drug possession, property damage and for breaching community correction orders he'd been given for stealing a car and failing to appear in court last year.

About 8.20am on Saturday, March 25 this year, police were conducting a foot patrol of the Orange area and saw Ah See standing at the traffic lights on Summer Street near Post Office Lane.

He was yelling abuse at bystanders who were having breakfast at the Coffee Club cafe so the police spoke with him.

After a short conversation he told police he had consumed the drug 'ice' in the early hours of the morning.

As a result, police believed he may be in possession of illicit substances so they searched him and found a small clear resealable bag containing methamphetamine.

He told police it was one point of "ice" and he injects it into his arms. When weighed in the packaging it had a total weight of 0.3 grams.

Methamphetamine use was also blamed when Ah See damaged a bed railing at Orange Hospital on June 4.

Ah See was taken from Orange Police Station to Orange Hospital that morning for a medical check.

Police guarded Ah See who was also handcuffed to a bed due to his violent behaviour.

About 8am his behaviour escalated erratically and he grabbed the bed railing and pulled at the rails. causing the railing to to break off.

Police saw the incident and notified hospital staff.

On November 8 last year, Ah See was also given a two years community correction order for stealing a vehicle on May 6, 2022.

That order, along with a 12-month CCO for failing to appear in court required him to be of good behaviour, which he breached with his offences in March and June.

Solicitor Lucy Maranga said Ah See has since successfully completed the Magistrate Early Referral into Treatment Program and a 12-week residential rehabilitation program to address his drug and alcohol issues.

"Drugs in particular were a primary issue, that is now addressed," she said.

Magistrate David Day said Ah See being refused bail was not a punishment and he was not in custody for these matters per se, not withstanding warrants that were taken out to get him before court.

"In this case, he's off his chops coming down off meth," Mr Day said about the incident at the hospital.

"The bed wasn't damaged before he was in it, it was damaged while he was in it.

"I cannot excuse his conduct.

"I'm sick of this kind of stuff."

He said he's sick of offences like Ah See's at the hospital and other similar cases where paramedics have been assaulted "just because people want to fry their brains on powerful stimulants".

"Mr Ah See likes drugs more than he likes his fellow human beings."

However, Mr Day said these offences did not cross the custody threshold.

"I note the rehabilitation," he said.

Mr Day revoked the CCOs Ah See had been given for the 2022 offences and resentenced him to a new two-year CCO 2 years for taking and driving a conveyance without consent and another 12-month CCO for failing to appear in court

Those new CCOs started on November 8, 2023.

Mr Day also convicted Ah see for the drug possession and property damage offences and gave him two more 12-month CCOs.

The sentences will run concurrently and Ah See will be required to participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs and abstain from drugs, unless they are prescribed by a doctor.

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Sign-up to our latest newsletter.