Erin Clark and Steven Gonos pleaded guilty to drug trafficking
An “active dealer” who was selling drugs alongside her boyfriend was caught by police tipping out fantasy in efforts to conceal her secret business.
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A new mother’s life was spiralling out of control when she was caught by police tipping out fantasy in efforts to conceal her secret business.
Erin Allanah Clark, 38, was dealing drugs alongside her partner at the time, Steven Anthony Gonos, 33, to fund their habits.
The Adelaide District Court heard Clark was caught with 39.7g of GHB, also known as fantasy, in April, 2019 at Seaton.
The value of the drug was $200.
“The defendant had tipped an amount of the drug out when the police arrived,” the prosecutor said.
“The amount of fantasy she possessed just moments earlier was arguably greater than that.”
The court heard text messages on Clark’s phone revealed “active dealing” and indicated she was dealing as far back as August 8, 2018.
“The tick lists that are found on that phone show that she was owed some not insignificant amounts of money,” the prosecutor said.
“She was motivated, to some extent, by profit.”
The prosecutor said they were opposed to a suspended or home detention sentence for Clark.
Clark, of Mitchell Park, and Gonos, of Seaton, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, arising from a charge in December, 2018.
Mr Graham, for Clark, told the court she was previously in a volatile relationship with Gonos during the period of offending and was “in fear” of him.
The court heard Clark, who grew up between Port Lincoln and Adelaide, had her drug use escalate and began selling to fund her addiction.
“Her life was spiralling out of control,” Mr Graham said.
Mr Graham said Clark, who is a mother-of-three, was dealing to fund her ongoing addiction and combined forces with Gonos, who was also a drug user.
The court heard Clark was undertaking rehabilitation for her drug addiction and getting her life in order.
“At the moment she’s working in Nuriootpa for her sister’s industrial cleaning company,” Mr Graham said.
The court heard Clark had given birth in November.
“The motivation for doing that has been galvanised by becoming pregnant and of course now being a mother,” Mr Graham said.
“Removing a mother from a very young child would be a very significant hardship on the young child.”
Judge Michael Burnett will sentence Clark next month.
Gonos will appear in the court in May for sentencing submissions.
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