A Tasmanian woman with nine drug-driving convictions has lost her legal fight to overturn an eight-week prison sentence, with the Supreme Court ruling the punishment fits her extensive offending history.
Christina Vernessa Watson, 32, had appealed her December sentence, arguing it was “manifestly excessive” despite being her ninth time caught driving with illicit drugs in her system since 2015.
Justice Robert Pearce threw out the appeal, saying the “possibility of an actual term of imprisonment was, or should have been, obvious” for again driving with methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system.
“Her record disentitled her to lenience. This was not an uncharacteristic aberration,” he said.
“She must, or at least should, have been aware of the risk she ran by driving after having used illicit drugs but once again she displayed a continuing attitude of disobedience of the law.”
Court documents published in the decision revealed Watson has a lengthy record that includes several convictions for driving while disqualified.
Attempts at rehabilitation, including a drug treatment order that was cancelled in 2020 for non-compliance and multiple suspended sentences, have all failed to change her behaviour, the documents stated.
Her lawyer argued a suspended sentence would be more helpful for her rehabilitation, claiming Watson was confused about her licence status after it was cancelled due to unpaid fines that had been settled just days before.
The lawyer said Watson only used drugs after her sister moved in with her following a domestic violence incident.
“She perhaps ought to have waited longer and obviously ought not have used illicit substances at all,” her lawyer told the court.
The magistrate who handed down the original sentence said jail time was the “only reasonable option”.
“At the end of the day it’s not that charge [of driving without a licence] that is concerning, it’s your returning to driving with drugs in your system for the ninth time,” he said.
The ruling means Watson will now serve the full eight-week prison term, along with a nine-month driving ban.
