A bodybuilder dubbed 'The Hulk' has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after taking police to his meth lab at a rehab facility.
Luke McNally, 38, once 'Mr Australia' and owner of supplement chain Mass Nutrition, was sentenced in the County Court on Monday after being found guilty of dozens of drug-related charges.
He was found guilty of human trafficking for manufacturing commercial quantities of cocaine, MDMA, methylamphetamine and P2P.
McNally's co-defendant, Wayne Doble, 65, was given a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of manufacturing and trafficking a commercial quantity of MDMA and possessing scientific glassware, equipment and substances for the purpose of this trafficking.
The court heard how McNally, 38, ran the drugs operation from three locations, including the former Daily Planet Brothel in Elsternwick. At the time of his offending, the location was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center called The Wellbeing Planet.
Luke McNally has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for drug offences
McNally was a former bodybuilder and Mr Australia, but his life has spiralled
McNally took undercover officers to a former brothel-turned-rehab clinic to sell them drugs
The second location was next to the former brothel and the third was a garage in Wallan.
McNally met two undercover officers at St Kilda police station in July 2019 and, believing them to be meth users, told them to meet him at the rehab where he sold them $400 worth of ice in the common area.
He was arrested in December 2019 and has been behind bars ever since.
McNally pleaded guilty to selling drugs to the undercover officers and possessing a sawn-off 12-gauge shotgun. He also told undercover officers he had destroyed “evidence” in northern Victoria before a police raid.
He was born in Brisbane, grew up in northern NSW and received a bravery award for his efforts as a firefighter during the 2009 NSW floods.
He launched Mass Nutrition in 2006 and grew the company into the No. 1 nutrition brand in Australia, growing it into a $40 million empire.
However, the company was later investigated by police over claims that it was used to distribute drugs.
Judge Rosemary Carlin ruled that McNally had abused drugs and anabolic steroids. In 2014, he started using methylamphetamine to overcome the stress associated with his firefighting days. His drug use led to him committing his first crime in Queensland.
He will serve 10 years and seven months before being eligible for parole.