Judge blasts dealer mother
A JUDGE has blasted a mother of three caught supplying drugs to buyers over a twoand-a-half year period, telling her that her kids “deserve better”.
Charters Towers District Court Judge John Coker told Tania Maree White she involved her children to some extent in the offending by having them nearby when she was exchanging and delivering drugs.
“At least one, if not all of your children (were present) when you were dropping drugs off to someone else,” Judge Coker said. “It’s very troubling that you would be thinking that it was appropriate and noteworthy that you could involve yourself in the activities in respect of your children and still conduct yourself in the way that you have.
“It fails to appreciate that our children are sponges, everything that they see that we do and say they soak up,” Judge Coker said.
White, 41, pleaded guilty to the charges and sobbed throughout the proceedings as Crown prosecutor Molly Mahlouzarides outlined the case against the Charters Towers woman.
Ms Mahlouzarides said the charges arose from a search warrant issued on April 30 last year at White’s 40.4ha property outside Charters Towers. She said while only a small amount of marijuana and seeds were found during the search, police obtained White’s mobile phone which contained evidence of her supplying marijuana to others.
“Messages on that phone revealed the defendant had made 24 supplies to at least six different people over a period of more than two-and-a-half years,” Ms Mahlouzarides said.
She said the amounts ranged from quarter to two ounces – a total of at least 258g of marijuana was involved.
Defence solicitor Dane Marley said White was selfmedicating for anxiety with marijuana at the time and to help her sleep after some dogs were stolen from her property.
He said she admitted she didn’t give the drugs away, but the nature of the supply was such that White wasn’t making a “significant profit”.
Mr Marley said since the visit by police to the property, and her arrest on May 15, White had stopped using drugs and learnt a “valuable lesson”.
Judge Coker convicted White of 24 drug supply charges and sentenced her to 12 months’ prison, suspended for two years.
In relation to the charges of possession of a dangerous drug and possession of an item used in the commission of a crime she was not further punished.
Leaving the court, White told the judge she would not forget the wake up call she had been given.