Home and Away actor Putu Sugiarta Winchester-Stanton will not go to prison for cocaine trafficking
- Home and Away star won’t go to jail
- Putu Winchester-Stanton sold cocaine
A former Home and Away star was “absolutely delighted” to learn he will not go to prison for dealing cocaine in idyllic Byron Bay.
Putu Sugiarta Winchester-Stanton appeared in the NSW District Court on Wednesday to hear his fate after pleading guilty to supplying 476g of cocaine into coastal NSW.
Court documents reveal the 46-year-old supplied the illicit drug to buyers in the Mullumbimby area between January 21 and April 22, 2021.
He was arrested after a series of police raids aimed at disrupting the supply of cocaine to the hinterland.
Police discovered the former Heartbreak High actor was part of a local drug syndicate that he used for his own financial gain.
Former Home and Away star was ‘absolutely delighted’ to learn he won’t go to prison for cocaine trafficking in idyllic Byron Bay
Putu Sugiarta Winchester-Stanton appeared in the NSW District Court on Wednesday to hear his fate after pleading guilty to supplying 476g of cocaine in coastal NSW.
Agents dismantled the drug ring through wiretapping, surveillance and controlled drug exchanges with undercover police officers.
Court documents reveal Winchester-Stanton has a drug history and was considered a “significant flight risk” when he requested bail.
Judge Timothy Gartelmann was due to sentence the former TV star on Wednesday, but adjourned the case to obtain a sentencing assessment report.
The report will tell the court whether Winchester-Stanton is eligible to perform community service as part of his non-custodial sentence.
“I can say with confidence that, whatever the structure of the sentence, he will not return to full-time custody,” announced Judge Gartelmann.
The former actor, who wore a black suit and crisp white shirt, smiled and visibly sagged in relief at the proclamation.
He was supported in court by several friends who gathered around him and hugged him tightly.
The judge noted that a “fair phalanx of people” had “gone out of their way to travel some distance” to be in court and support Winchester-Stanton.
“Some of your concerns about what might happen to your friend will have been dissipated after what I had to say,” he told the actor’s gathered friends.
Agents dismantled the drug ring through wiretapping, surveillance and controlled drug exchanges with undercover police officers.
He was supported in court by several friends who gathered around him and hugged him tightly.
The judge noted that a “fair phalanx of people” had “gone out of their way to travel some distance” to be in court to support Winchester-Stanton.
Outside court, Winchester-Stanton said he was “absolutely delighted” to learn he would not be going to prison.
“I obviously feel like a huge weight has been lifted,” he said.
Former Home and Away and Heartbreak High star Putu Winchester-Stanton said he was ‘absolutely delighted’ to learn he won’t be going to prison after admitting selling drugs in the area idyllic Byron Bay.
The 46-year-old said he was focusing on a “much healthier and more positive lifestyle” after being arrested on drug charges.
“I learned to reorient my life trajectory through positive thinking,” he told reporters.
Judge Gartelmann will consider six charges related to drug supply and possession when he sentences Winchester-Stanton in November.
The Indonesian-born actor rose to fame when he was just 18 years old after starring in the hit Australian series Heartbreak High.
He won hearts across the country as class clown Dennis Klinsmann from 1997 to 1999.
The heartthrob then starred in the long-running series Home and Away in 2000, when he also had a role in the realistic TV series Water Rats.
His most recent acting role was in the independent art film Hell is Light, released in 2018 to critical acclaim.
Judge Gartelmann will consider six charges related to drug supply and possession when he sentences Winchester-Stanton in November.
