Man found unconscious in brothel with loaded gun, illegal drugs and thousands in cash

David Celeski, 40, has pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

After staff at a Canberra brothel called for help when one of their patrons became unconscious, police and paramedics arrived to find him with meth, heroin, thousands of dollars in cash, as well as a cocked and loaded pistol.

David Celeski, a 40-year-old from Karabar in NSW, pleaded guilty to charges from the incident in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (13 July).

Court documents say he spent several hours at Langtrees Bar & Brothel in Mitchell in the early morning of 5 February 2022 before staff called Triple Zero for help at about 9 am because he was unconscious.

Paramedics arrived and while searching his belongings for a way to identify him, they found drugs, cash and a gun.

Celeski was arrested while unconscious and was taken to Calvary Hospital under police guard.

When police searched his bag, they found a Colt 1911 pistol, over $12,000 cash, 40 grams of heroin and three mobile phones.

The pistol was operational and had rounds in the magazine. Its hammer was cocked and a round was in the chamber, although the safety switch was on.

Celeski also had 29 grams of methylamphetamine in a clip seal bag, as well as seven grams of 1,4-Butanediol in a vanilla extract bottle.

A declared substance, 1,4-Butanediol is a chemical used to make floor stripper and paint thinner, but can be abused as a sedative that has been called ‘liquid fantasy’.

A staff member at the brothel told police she saw him pour some of the liquid from the vanilla extract bottle into the cap and give it to her, then she drank it.

Celeski, who is being held in custody, appeared in court over audio-visual link where he entered guilty pleas to charges of unauthorised possession of a firearm and ammunition, trafficking methylamphetamine and heroin, possessing the proceeds of crime, as well as possessing and supplying a prohibited substance.

Other charges were withdrawn.

Magistrate James Stewart transferred him to the Supreme Court for sentencing. His first appearance in the higher court to begin organising a sentencing date will be on 28 July.