‘Parasite’ Claire Louise Henderson was trafficking meth and fantasy at South Plympton

A mother who was slammed for treating home detention “like a party room” was using vast amounts of meth and fantasy daily when her dealing operation was exposed, a court heard.

A woman who copped a spray from a magistrate, labelling her a “parasite” for treating home detention like a “party room” was dealing meth to pay off a drug debt, a court has heard.

Claire Louise Henderson’s life had been taken by drugs when she was found with a significant meth stash in her underwear.

The Adelaide District Court on Thursday heard police raided Henderson’s South Plympton home on February 5, 2021.

They found 616g of GHB, also known as fantasy – valued between $1232 and $4312 – and 55.6g of a crystal substance, which contained 44.6g of pure methamphetamine.

“This was located in two plastic resealable bags found within (Henderson’s) underwear during the search,” a prosecutor told the court.

The court heard the methamphetamine was valued at up to $22,240 if sold by the gram.

Police also found a further 25g of fantasy, valued between $150 and $525, digital scales, $1500, plastic resealable bags and tick lists.

The court heard Henderson, 27, was selling drugs to fund her own habit and to pay off a $30,000 drug debt owed by her and her partner.

The Christies Beach woman pleaded guilty to commercial drug trafficking and two counts of drug trafficking.

Gerard Bowen, for Henderson, told the court she had previously worked in retail, including at Hungry Jack’s and Woolworths, but hadn’t worked for nine years.

“The scourge of methamphetamine is all-encompassing, it takes one’s life over,” he said.

“You do not have a life when you’re using methamphetamine.”

Mr Bowen told the court Henderson started using methamphetamine when she lost custody of her daughter and her life spiralled out of control.

Mr Bowen told the court Henderson admitted to him only taking drugs two weeks ago.

Henderson was slammed by Magistrate Susan O’Connor last year when she asked to move out of her father’s home and into her own home, but had recently failed a Department of Corrections drug test.

“She’s into party drugs, she uses them every day and she’s supposed to be on home detention,” Ms O’Connor said.

“She’s treating it like a party room.”

Ms O’Connor said Henderson was put into custody for three weeks with a “raging drug habit”.

“Think about the community sitting behind me asking what are you doing in criminal courts to allow these people who do so much harm due to the fact the whole drug trafficking trade means that you’re a parasite and preying on the misfortunes of other people,” she said.

“Your only interest in life is getting cheap money, cheap drugs and a cheap fix.”

Claire Henderson pleaded guilty to commercial drug trafficking. Picture: Facebook

In the Adelaide District Court on Thursday, Mr Bowen told the court Henderson was using 50ml of fantasy and half a point of methamphetamine a day during the offending.

“She gave herself over to that lifestyle and as a result she became part of that lifestyle,” he said.

Mr Bowen asked the court to impose a merciful sentence on Henderson, as there was “light at the end of the tunnel for her”.

Judge Heath Barklay will sentence Henderson next month.