Tears as woman sentenced

A WOMAN who wept in court as she was sentenced for drug and driving offences blamed the loss of custody of her baby for her life spiralling out of control.

Defence solicitor Mikayla Ward told the Charters Towers Magistrates Court that the defendant, Melissa Anne Barnett, 36, found herself turning to drugs.

The court heard Barnett was intercepted in her vehicle at 6.05pm on February 29 on the Bruce Highway and given a roadside drug test.

She tested positive to cannabis and told police she had smoked it the previous evening.

Police prosecutor Kelly Mythen said on July 31, Barnett was pulled over in Townsville and checks showed she had been disqualified from driving because of demerit points.

On August 4, she was again pulled over by police, at 1pm in Palmerston Street, Townsville.

A saliva test showed she had drugs in her system. Police noticed marks on her arm, searched the vehicle and found two used syringes.

Ms Mythen said Barnett told police she was a regular user of methamphetamine.

Ms Ward said Barnett fell pregnant in June last year and after the birth of her child attempted suicide and turned to drugs after losing custody of her newborn daughter to her former partner.

“She no longer gets to have contact with her daughter, which is a source of great pain to her,” Ms Ward said.

“She is living out of her car and was living out of her car for an extended period of time until just recently.

“She says she has been clean for two weeks and will attending ATODS (Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs unit) in order to gain some assistance for her drug use.

“She has made admissions to police and does recognise she has an issue with drug use.”

Magistrate Viviana Keegan told Barnett her drug use was a real problem.

“You’re a mature woman and whilst you say your drug use is recent, your criminal history would say otherwise,” she said.

“You’ve got history dating back to 2010 that shows drug use has been a real problem for you.

“I am going to give you a short probation order that has a specific drug condition in it,” Ms Keegan said.

Barnett was placed on a sixmonth probation order for twice driving while disqualified due to demerit points, twice drug driving and for possession of a utensil used to administer a dangerous drug.

She was disqualified from driving for one month for drug driving in February, six months for driving while demerit point suspended in July and 12 months for the August offence, and three months for drug driving in August.

The suspensions are cumulative and mean that Barnett will not be eligible to hold a licence for 16 months.

Ms Keegan ordered the forfeiture and disposal of the syringes.