The drug crimes of South Australia’s parents exposed
From a shock look into a meth mum’s house to dads with double lives as drug dealers, here are the SA parents whose bad habits caught up with them.
Local
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From meth addicted mums wanting extra cash to drug addicted dads committing violent crimes, Adelaide’s courts have heard a long list of parents and their drug offences over the past year.
Here are some of the most shocking cases.
Shane Jarman and Aaron Lloyd
Two fathers who robbed a man in a violent home invasion at the suggestion of their female accomplice will be behind bars for a long time.
Aaron Elias Lloyd, 33, and Shane Douglas Jarman, 49, were drug addicted and after easy money when they involved themselves in the enterprise.
The Adelaide District Court heard their co-accused, the female “mastermind” of the enterprise, had previously been in a relationship with the victim and was aware he was in possession of large sums of cash.
“She suggested a plan which involved stealing money from his house,” Judge Ian Press said during sentencing.
“The plan also involved a ruse whereby she would be threatened by you to distract attention away from her.”
Jarman and Lloyd entered through the unlocked front door on June 15, 2018 wearing balaclavas.
Lloyd and the co-accused stole the $10,000 from inside the house.
Jarman, of Paralowie, and Lloyd, of Elizabeth East, had pleaded guilty to serious criminal trespass, assault and theft.
Judge Press sentenced Lloyd to four years and seven months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and 10 months.
After adding on Jarman’s previous sentences, Judge Press sentenced him to eight years and four months jail, with a non-parole period of four years and 11 months.
The sentence was backdated to July 11, 2020.
Glenys Kupfer
A once meth-addicted mother who was raising her young children in “very squalid” conditions has been given a suspended jail sentence for the serious neglect.
Glenys Kupfer, 34, was sentenced in the Adelaide Magistrates Court for the neglect of her four young sons.
She was raising them in a house of squalor with rotting food in the fridge and faeces on the floor.
Police attended Kupfer’s Blair Athol residence on March 1, 2019.
Kupfer’s sons, who were aged eight, three, two and one at the time, were present when police entered the home.
“Two of the children were completely unclothed … faeces were evident on the floor of the kitchen, lounge and bathroom,” Magistrate Nick Alexandrides said during sentencing.
“The beds that were present were dirty and not covered with appropriate bedding material.”
The court heard the “appalling” conditions also included rotting food in the refrigerator and broken glass on the floor.
The house received a score of 22 out of 30 on the squalor assessment scale, with 30 being the most squalid condition a house can be in.
The mother-of-six, of Hectorville, pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to provide necessary food, clothing or accommodation to her children.
Mr Alexandrides sentenced Kupfer to four months jail.
It was suspended on a 18-month good behaviour bond for $200, with supervision.
Alyce Sharp
A mother’s drug dealing enterprise did not stop after her house was raided, instead she turned to Australia Post to ship packages of meth.
Alyce Sharp, 33, was jailed in the Adelaide District Court for dealing methamphetamine to feed her own addiction, as well as for profit.
The court heard Sharp was stopped by police leaving the address of a known drug user on June 25, 2020 in Port Lincoln.
Police found 13g of methamphetamine, 7.5g of which was pure and over $12,000 in cash.
Police then searched Sharp’s house and found 252g of 1-4 butanediol, also known as fantasy, tick lists, $11,800 in cash and a set of cards containing phone numbers of known drug persons of interest within Port Lincoln.
Sharp attended the Australia Post outlet in Rundle Mall on April 15.
“CCTV footage showed you removing an item from your handbag and sending it to a Ceantaine Narrier at an address in Port Lincoln,” Judge O’Sullivan said.
“Text messages between you and Ms Narrier indicated that the parcel contained an unknown quantity of methamphetamine.”
Sharp then attended Australia Post in Findon on May 10, 2021 and sent another package to the same address but to a differently named person.
The package contained 23g of methamphetamine, which was of 76.5 per cent purity, and 15 buprenorphine strips.
The value of the methamphetamine was up to $23,000.
Sharp, of Port Lincoln, had pleaded guilty to five counts of drug trafficking.
Judge O’Sullivan sentenced Sharp to six years and three months jail, with a non-parole period of five years.
The sentence was backdated to July 6.
Kara Larking
A drug dealer caught with methamphetamine potentially worth over $130,000 wants to kick her own habit so she stops hurting her children.
Kara Jane Larking, 34, was jailed in the Adelaide District Court after her desire to be a “super mum” led to a drug addiction.
The court heard she was detected after police found text messages sent by Larking on the phone of another person also suspected of drug trafficking.
Police received information that Larking was transporting methamphetamine from Adelaide to Port Lincoln.
She was intercepted on the Port Lincoln Highway on September 1, 2020.
Police found 134g of a substance which contained 68g of methamphetamine in her car, as well as tick lists and mobile phones at Larking’s home.
“The value of 134g found in the glasses case was between $33,500 and $52,600 if sold in larger amounts or between $67,000 and $134,000 if sold in individual points,” Judge Timothy Heffernan said during sentencing.
Larking, of Port Lincoln, had previously pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
Judge Heffernan sentenced Larking to three years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and three months.
Wade Simpson
A man who sold thousands of dollars of meth to an undercover police officer wants to reform from his old life and be a good father.
Wade Simpson, 39, was on a downward spiral after his relationship ended and he started selling drugs to support his own habit.
The Adelaide District Court heard Simpson was introduced to the undercover police officer by a fellow drug dealer in 2020.
Simpson attended a Riverland shopping centre on June 26, 2020 and sold 0.45g of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer for $250.
Simpson sold 3.45g to the undercover police officer for $1500 the next day.
He also sold 3.26g of meth for $1400 on July 9, 2020 and 0.5g for $200 on August 5, 2020.
Police found 6.7g of methamphetamine in his pocket, as well as tick lists, re-sealable bags, 1.3g of methamphetamine and $2300 in a search of his home.
Simpson, of Renmark, had previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts of drug trafficking.
Judge Kimber sentenced Simpson to two years and 11 months’ jail, with a non-parole period of two years and five months.
Judge Kimber ordered the sentence to be served on home detention.
John Nowland
A man’s meth relapse had “horrific consequences” after he repeatedly stabbed his partner of 18 years in a jealous rage.
John Robert Nowland, 38, “left the woman he loves more than anybody else” crying, distressed and in pain from the vicious attack.
A prosecutor told the Adelaide District Court that Nowland’s attack was a “significant escalation” of violence compared to his previous criminal history.
The victim is Nowland’s partner of 18 years, who he shares six children with.
The court previously heard Nowland confronted his partner in the bedroom about “cheating allegations” before he physically assaulted her on January 8, 2021.
The struggle moved to the kitchen and then to the front yard.
Nowland charged towards the victim with a knife saying: “I told you what was going to happen, I’m going to kill you”.
He stabbed the victim twice to the neck and once to the upper thigh.
Nowland, of Munno Para, pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Rebecca Haggerty
A drug dealer’s decision to make some extra cash by delivering meth to her friends in a country town backfired and landed her a court date.
The Adelaide District Court heard Rebecca Jane
Haggerty’s three children witnessed police uncover her drug dealing business when they attended her Coober Pedy address on July 18, 2019.
“At the time police had information that you were selling methamphetamine and cannabis from this address,” Judge Paul Slattery said during sentencing.
The 40 year old woman was at home and her three young children were also present when police found marijuana, 5.7g of crystals, containing 4.2g of methamphetamine and drug utensils.
“You brought it to Coober Pedy because you used it yourself and could not get it in the town,” Judge Slattery said.
Police analysed Haggerty’s phone and found drug dealing messages.
Haggerty, of Coober Pedy, had previously pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
Judge Slattery sentenced Haggerty to three years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and five months.
It was suspended on a two year good behaviour bond for $500, with supervision for one year.
Stephen Sideras
A father-of-five caught with up to $20,000 of marijuana in the form of vape pens and oil says he has now stopped using drugs.
Stephen Paul Sideras, 28, walked free from the Adelaide Magistrates Court, remorseful for drug dealing, which he started to fund his own addiction.
The court heard that police attended a Lewiston property on June 17, 2020 after text messages revealed Sideras had been selling marijuana.
Police searched a shed and found a significant quantity of marijuana, which belonged to Sideras’ co-accused, James Paul Collington.
They also found 295ml of marijuana across nine vape pens and two bottles, as well as 504g of green paste, containing marijuana.
The court heard the marijuana found was worth thousands in the dollars but the value is not clear, due to the various quantities it could be sold in.
“I’m told that the 295ml of oil had an estimated value, if sold by the millilitre, of approximately $20,000,” Mr Smart said.
Sideras, of Lewiston, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.
Mr Smart sentenced Sideras to one year jail, with a non-parole period of seven-months.
The sentence was suspended on a 12 month good behaviour bond for $500.
Christine Ryall
A drug dealer, whose secret was exposed after she was found passed out at the wheel, has been abstaining from drugs while in custody.
Christine Mary Ryall, 48, is trying to rehabilitate from her drug addiction after being caught with “significant” amounts of methamphetamine.
The Adelaide District Court heard that police received reports of an unconscious woman in the driver’s seat of a vehicle on February 15, 2021 at Ovingham.
“You were heavily intoxicated and the paramedics took you to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment,” Judge Michael Durrant said during sentencing.
The court heard police searched a backpack and found 48.3g of methamphetamine, scales, glass pipes and two mobile phones.
They also found another backpack.
“The backpack contained a bumbag containing $31,530 cash, three plastic resealable bags containing a total of 15.28 grams of methamphetamine, a Ziploc bag containing 26.8 grams of cannabis … and a tin containing handwritten notes referring to money being owed,” Judge Durrant said.
“Your offending involved significant and valuable quantities of drugs.”
Ryall, of Bowden, had previously pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering.
Judge Durrant sentenced Ryall to two years’ jail, with a non-parole period of one year and four months.
He ordered the sentence be served on home detention.
‘I had a good cry’: Mum stuck in sickness cycle learns shocking truth
This Yorke Peninsula mum thought she was caught in a cycle of daycare sickness bugs. When she couldn’t get better she went to the doctor and the results were unbelievable.
Read more
Mapped: Adelaide parking fine hotspots where you’ll get stung
Councils have raked in more than $23 million in car parking fines in a year and an Advertiser investigation reveals where and when you’re most likely to get caught.
Read more