A SHOAL Bay Country Club manager and bartender have pleaded guilty to supplying drugs at the Port Stephens premises.

The two club employees both pleaded guilty to supplying drugs in Raymond Terrace Local Court.

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Gareth Ian Wilkinson, aged 42, group manager for Zenith hotels, worked predominantly at the Shoal Bay Country Club and was off duty on the night of 29 April when he was seen offering to sell 0.8 grams of cocaine to a patron at the club for $300.

In a police statement of facts tendered in court, Wilkinson went to contact his “upline supplier”, who was allegedly somewhere in the venue.

When the supplier couldn’t be found, Wilkinson told the guest to call him the next day, giving them his number.

Dean Howard Denehy, also 42, worked at the Club as a cellarman and bartender, and was also off-duty when police caught him offering to supply cocaine to patrons at the club.

Police recorded him offering 1.25 grams of white powder in two separate, resealable plastic bags for $650.

Laboratory analysis found the powder to contain cocaine of about 12-per-cent purity.

On the same night, he sold 1.67 grams of white powder for $600, containing cocaine of 13.5-per-cent purity.

Mr Denehy told police at the time of his arrest that he couldn’t remember the night in question and had no knowledge of drug supply but later admitted, when given a visual prompt, he was involved.

Both men were caught out by police attached to the Port Stephens-Hunter Police drug unit, who monitored the premises and recorded them offering drugs to hotel guests and were arrested several weeks later on 14 July, and remain on strict conditional bail.

A 32-year-old female, Carissa Sharpe, who was arrested at the same time, has pleaded not guilty to one count of drug supply.

By Tara CAMPBELL