Teens back mum in court
Judge berates woman for ‘gross stupidity’ as daughters watch on
A mother of two has been sentenced while her teenage children sat at the back of the courtroom, as the details of her drug stash were revealed.
Nadia Joy Brightfield appeared in the Townsville District Court after police executed a search warrant on the woman’s home and uncovered a string of drugs and a homemade weapon.
While the woman was found to be in possession of drugs, there was no suggestion that she had attempted to supply the drug to prisoners in a correctional facility.
Crown prosecutor Patrick Newman told the court that on December 14 in 2022, police found one gram of cannabis, a homemade taser, two lots of five-gram tablets of diazepam and a syringe that contained methamphetamine.
Mr Newman said that hidden in the 39-year-old woman’s cupboard were 104 strips of Suboxone, and police also found a notebook with names and monetary amounts like a tick sheet.
The court was told that Brightfield had admitted to owning all of the drugs except for the strips of Suboxone, a drug commonly sold to prisoners in correctional facilities.
Mr Newman noted that there was a clear element of commerciality due to the tick sheet and mobile phone found in the woman’s house.
It was not suggested that the woman tried to sell the drugs to inmates in prison.
Defence barrister Harvey Walters, instructed by Rennick Lawyers, said his New Zealand-born client had started to use methamphetamine following her divorce seven years ago, and he highlighted that aside from the Suboxone she was only found with small quantities of drugs.
The court was told that Brightfield had four previous convictions for possessing drugs.
Judge John Coker emphasised the concern surrounding the commerciality element and berated the woman for standing in a court before her children.
“I note your early plea of guilty, which is hopefully an indication of remorse and insight on your part into the gross stupidity that now brings you before the court,” Judge Coker said.
“Standing in the dock of the superior courts with your two daughters sitting behind you is, I hope, a wake-up call for you.”
Brightfield pleaded guilty to possessing drugs, possessing things in relation to drugs and possessing a weapon.
She was sentenced to 12 months’ jail and was released on immediate parole.
“It is indeed tragic that your children are sitting at the back of the court as you face these charges,” Judge Coker said.