Geraldton ex-real estate agent Simon Sebastian Reale jailed for 20 months for drug dealing

An ex-real estate agent turned drug dealer could soon be back on Geraldton streets after he was made eligible for parole earlier this week. Simon Sebastian Reale, 33, was due to stand trial on multiple drugs and weapons allegations but in February accepted an offer to plead guilty to just two charges. Reale on Monday admitted to possessing almost 20g of methylamphetamine with the intent to sell and supply, and failing to comply with a data access order. Geraldton District Court was told the drugs were found distributed across about 20 clip-seal bags during a raid of a Webberton shed in October 2020. A shirtless and “incoherent” Reale was located at the property during the police raid, with the man charged after he was taken to hospital for treatment. Police also seized three mobile phones from the scene, with the devices containing messages and calls from Reale’s alleged associates. The man admitted to owning two of the phones, but not the third. He also claimed he had forgotten the passcode to the devices, resulting in him being charged with ignoring a data access order. The court was told the prosecution had no evidence of “the extent of Reale’s dealing” because of the failure to comply with this order. Defence counsel Paul Holmes said Reale was only selling the methylamphetamine to a “small group of people,” and was also drug user at the time. But Judge David MacLean said this did not take away from the seriousness of the offending. “Once (the drugs) are gone, it’s a bit like a fire; he’s not in control over who it is that takes it and what the impact upon that person might be,” he said. “It then has a ripple effect, because that person goes on to commit more offences.” The court heard Reale displayed a “fragrant disregard for his bail conditions” and went back to using drugs “very quickly” after being released from custody. He has since spent more than 300 days in Greenough Regional Prison, where Mr Holmes said Reale had been working in the kitchen. Mr Holmes said Reale was “looking at making amends” with his family and becoming a “functioning member of society” in the future. Judge MacLean sentenced Reale to 20 months imprisonment and made him eligible for parole after he served 10 months. The sentence was backdated to when he entered custody on May 19, 2021, meaning he can now apply to the prison review board for parole.