Woman fined $1500

Six-year clean spell broken with drug and weapon charges

A WOMAN found with more than $4000 in suspected proceeds of selling morphine has been dragged back to court after six years walking the straight and narrow.

Katrina Leanne Mcdonald pleaded guilty in Townsville Magistrates Court to charges including possess tainted property, and two counts each of possess utensils or pipes, possessing dangerous drugs, and unlawful possession of weapons category A and M.

Prosecutor Len Brown told the court that while searching her home on September 4, 2021, police found “crushed morphine”, as well as $4725 cash, components of a firearm, a push blade knife and 3g of cannabis.

While Mcdonald was not charged with supplying a dangerous drug or trafficking, Mr Brown said Mcdonald had told police she had been supplying to an “unknown person”.

The court was told McDonald had not been before the courts since 2015, despite having a relevant and quite lengthy criminal history.

Mr Brown said it was the significant amount of cash which was most concerning.

“It is money in the proceeds of sales of drugs … it would be north of 12 months (imprisonment), isn’t it?,” Magistrate Ross Mack said of the “serious” offence. “Even in the absence of (her history) … she’s not charged with supply, but this is a consequence of it.”

Mcdonald’s lawyer, Troydon Maltby, argued his client had been using the morphine found by police.

Mr Maltby added that after moving from Mackay to Townsville six years ago, Mcdonald had “turned things around … then there was this one incident here … but it has been eight months now with no further offending”.

The court was told McDonald had a history of drug use including heroin, cannabis and morphine, but that she had since taken “ongoing positive steps” to rehabilitation.

She was fined $1500 for the possession of the drugs and weapons, and sentenced to nine months’ jail, wholly suspended for one year. Convictions were recorded.