Brooke Tulloch sentenced for dealing heroin to undercover cop at Parafield Gardens

A woman entangled herself in an undercover police drug deal because she felt sorry for the cop looking for her housemate and didn’t want to leave her hanging for a hit.

A woman who found herself in the middle of a Valentine’s Day drug deal says she felt sorry for an undercover officer who she believed to be an addict.

Brooke Lee Tulloch, 26, was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” when she foolishly agreed to orchestrate the deal, despite receiving no benefit.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday heard an undercover officer was sent to a Parafield Gardens address to attempt to purchase drugs from Tulloch’s housemate.

When the officer arrived at the house on February 14, 2020, Tulloch opened the door and was asked if she knew where to buy drugs.

Brooke Tulloch avoided jail for selling an undercover police officer heroin. Picture: Facebook

“You said that you knew people who could supply heroin and they were nearby,” Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal said during sentencing.

The officer drove them to a nearby grocery store and gave Tulloch $100 to purchase heroin.

Tulloch returned a short time later and gave 0.2g of heroin to the undercover officer.

The Salisbury East woman pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.

Caroline Tassone, for Tulloch, told the court she was caught up in the drug scene while couchsurfing, despite not being an addict herself.

“There were people coming and going and regular drug users, it was a bad environment,” she said.

“When the offending occurred she says that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Ms Tassone said Tulloch admitted to her “middleman” role but was not motivated by financial gain.

“She only answered the door as no one else was home,” she said.

“She felt sorry for her, because she had been around drug addicts for so long and she knew the effects of what it was to be hanging out (for a hit).

“She says the person who came to the door looked like a drug addict.”

Ms Tassone told the court Tulloch was wanting to start a family with her partner.

The court heard Tulloch, who had previously worked as a manager at a service station, had tried drugs socially but said it was not for her.

Chief Magistrate Hribal said the offence had been a wakeup call for Tulloch and she had since found her own stable accommodation.

She sentenced Tulloch to 10 months jail.

The sentence was suspended on a 18-month good behaviour bond.