Our client, a 40 year old mother and sole carer of 4 children, had been introduced to cannabis in her teens and later to methylamphetamine by an abusive former partner at the age of 24. Ever since that time, she had struggled to be drug-free and her dependency was a coping mechanism for significant stress in her life. In most recent times, she began to sell cannabis to friends as a way of supporting her dependency on harder drugs.
However, in 2021 when police executed a search warrant at her home, a search of her bedroom uncovered multiple smoking implements, scales, lists with names and numbers, over $6,000 cash, quantities of cannabis, methylamphetamine and cocaine. She was charged with intending to sell and/or supply each type of drug to others. Her former lawyer’s prognosis of sentencing in the District Court and a jail term was one that our client was desperate to avoid.
We commenced acting for her in late 2022, assessed the brief, identified weaknesses in the evidence and commenced successful negotiations with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). We were able to persuade the ODPP that our client’s intention to sell or supply was limited to the cannabis and not all the cash seized related to the proceeds of past sales. Our client pleaded guilty to amended charges of simple possession of methylamphetamine and cocaine, and dealt with by a Magistrate for all related charges. A fine of $800 was imposed for all charges with an order that $3,000 cash be returned to her.
