Daniel James Rodd's jail term increased from nine to 10 years.
Daniel James Rodd's jail term increased from nine to 10 years. Under Queensland legislation, a 10-year sentence automatically carries with it a serious violent offender declaration. This means Rodd - who was 34 in June when he was sentenced for a string of offences including trafficking and producing methylamphetamine - will serve at least eight years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. During the original sentence hearing, the Supreme Court in Brisbane was told Rodd was the head of a large-scale drug ring in south-east Queensland between 2002 and 2004. The court was told Rodd ran his business through the use of "gangster-style violence''.
"Rodd used violence and threats of violence to control and manipulate his minions,'' reads a written judgment handed down today in the Court of Appeal. "During the trafficking he used violence to make others confess to crimes they had not committed to absolve him of responsibility... "He always carried a gun and fired guns in close proximity to others to intimidate purchasers and assert his power over his associates and customers.'' Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine appealed Rodd's original nine-year sentence, claiming it did not reflect the seriousness of the offending. The Court of Appeal agreed, saying it was a "clear case for a serious violent offence declaration''.