Woman gave pot to kids

Towers resident jailed for supplying marijuana on ex’s behalf

A CHARTERS Towers woman is behind bars after she bought marijuana for two children.

Police raided Samantha Marie Burnett’s home in April 2019 and discovered text messages on her phone that proved she gave two teenagers marijuana on multiple occasions.

Burnett spent 10 months in 2018 and 2019 supplying drugs on behalf of her former partner.

Townsville Supreme Court heard the 38-year-old had supplied to six people on at least 40 different occasions, including two children.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Francis said on at least one occasion Burnett distributed drugs through one of the teens.

Burnett was charged with trafficking drugs and supplying drugs to children, who were teenagers at the time of the offences.

Mr Francis said Burnett did not profit from selling marijuana and was unemployed at the time.

Defence barrister Claire Grant said her client’s adult life had been “marred with the tragedy of domestic violence”.

“A number of relationships resulted in issues of domestic violence including … occasions when (her) partners were before the courts for offending against her,” she said.

Ms Grant argued that sending the mum of four to jail would cause great issues for her family.

Her parents, who had agreed to look after her two children who still lived at home, were experiencing health issues, the court heard.

However, Justice David North said Burnett’s offending was very serious.

“I am conscious that the sentencing structure that requires you to serve a period of imprisonment will cause hardship for your family but the seriousness of the aggravating feature … supply to minors … has persuaded me that you should serve some period of actual custody,” Justice North said.

The woman supplied about 91.5g of marijuana in the 10month offending period.

Mr North said she told arresting officers she was in the business of “helping people” and regarded herself as more of a “middle man”.

The mum will serve three months of a two-year sentence before she is eligible for parole.