A woman caught with more than 17 grams of methylamphetamine and a phone full of drug-dealing messages has been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
Bianca Louise Ford, 38, pleaded guilty to trafficking ice between August and October 2023.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Chris Shanahan, during sentencing late last year, said the case highlighted the “great harm” methylamphetamine causes in the Tasmanian community.
“… It needs to be reinforced that people who sell those drugs can expect substantial punishment,” he said.
Police found the drugs during an unrelated search warrant at a Moonah address on October 3, 2023. Ford was not a resident but had stayed overnight.
Officers discovered 25 packages of ice hidden in a hair straightener bag inside her handbag, along with scales and drug paraphernalia.
The drugs had an estimated street value of up to $17,400.
Ford initially denied the drugs were hers, claiming another person must have put them in her bag while she slept.
But police found dozens of text and Facebook messages on her phone offering ice for sale to about 12 customers.
Messages sent the day before her arrest included phrases like “got filth” and listed prices for half-grams and grams.
Chief Justice Shanahan noted Ford’s criminal history showed escalating drug offences and previous suspended sentences.
“It appears clear that your life, at least in recent times, has revolved around the selling and use of controlled drugs,” he said.
The court heard Ford had engaged with rehabilitation programs, though with limited success and relapses.
Chief Justice Shanahan suspended the full 18-month sentence on strict conditions including drug testing, mandatory treatment and supervision.
“This disposition gives you an opportunity to turn your life around for yourself and your son,” he said.
“It is entirely up to you whether you take it.”
Ford was also ordered to pay $3,069 in drug analysis costs and forfeit her phone and drug equipment.
