Jail drugs sniffed out
Corrections dog foils mum’s contraband attempt
A YOUNG mum’s seemingly innocent visit to her boyfriend in a Townsville jail quickly fell apart when a sniffer dog caught wind of something suspicious in her pants.
When Shauntay Joyce Bowman, 23, arrived at Townsville Correctional Centre on September 4, 2021, she planned to do more than just pay her partner a visit.
Townsville District Court on Wednesday heard that hidden in the waistline of her pants were three packages containing 197 buprenorphine tablets, with one package inside a pouch of tobacco.
And as Bowman was being processed as a visitor, a sniffer dog began showing interest in her.
Despite Bowman denying she had any contraband on her, when police were called she pulled the packages from her pants.
Bowman pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated supply of dangerous drugs within a correctional facility and a count of take, or attempt to take, a prohibited thing into corrective services facility.
Legal officer for the Department of Public Prosecutions, Jack Toohey, said Bowman told police she was to be paid $500 to smuggle the drugs into the jail.
“(There was) a degree of coercion … she said there would be consequences for her and her partner if she didn’t supply the drugs,” Mr Toohey said.
The court heard Bowman had no criminal history, and was the mother of a five-yearold.
Barrister Michael Hibble argued his client should not serve any time behind bars.
He told the court Bowman and the man had broken up, and that she now lived in Toowoomba with her grandmother where she hoped to take up a traffic control apprenticeship.
He said Bowman had planned to use the $500 to help her relocate from Townsville.
“She reflected upon, in one sense, how she’s effectively been used by this person,” Mr Hibble said.
Speaking to Judge Ian Dearden, Bowman apologised.
“I’ve learnt my lesson and it definitely won’t happen again,” she said.
Judge Dearden said he recognised Bowman’s co-operation with police and her insight into her offending.
Bowman was sentenced to 12 months jail, wholly suspended for 12 months.