Former The Block star turned escort Suzi Taylor hit with fresh charges after drug trafficking allegations
Ex-reality TV star turned escort and accused heroin trafficker Suzi Taylor has owned up to some of her latest misdeeds - but plans to fight allegations she had meth stashed inside a necklace.
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Former The Block star turned escort and accused heroin trafficker Suzi Taylor has owned up to some of her latest misdeeds – but her legal troubles are far from over.
Taylor was found with a white BMW at Stapylton after 10pm on August 14, where she told police the car had run out of petrol and she was waiting for another person to return from a service station.
Southport Magistrates Court was told that despite being warned to not drive, an unlicensed Taylor got behind the wheel about 20 minutes later and sped away from officers as they tried to pursue her.
Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said it was “very disappointing” that police seemingly waited nearby for his client to get back in the car, rather than offering assistance.
“One wonders how long a 53-year-old woman is going to stand in the rain waiting for a man to come back – one might think no one helps her,” he said.
Taylor pleaded guilty to evasion offence at night, breaching bail, unlicensed driving as a repeat offender and failing to stop on a red traffic arrow or stop line. She was sentenced to 50 days’ jail with parole release on October 3 and disqualified from driving for two years.
The former reality TV personality still had to apply for bail on a charge of possessing dangerous drugs, with the court told she was allegedly found with methylamphetamine inside a necklace and the footwell of a car.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Nick Wang said Taylor had bail on drug trafficking charges - including heroin, meth, and MDMA - but that her proposed accommodation in Cairns had fallen through, meaning she was no longer living away from the Gold Coast.
Mr Gatenby told the court his client “absolutely denied” having meth inside the necklace.
He claimed there was a “big hole” in the police footage taken after Taylor’s arrest, including the handling of the necklace.
“If the drug was ultimately proven to be hers – and I want to make it clear she denies that – she’s not likely to receive a custodial sentence,” he said.
Taylor was granted bail on the remaining charge.
All of her matters are listed for August 27.
EARLIER: Ex-Block star turned escort slapped with fresh charges
Troubled former reality TV personality turned “high-class” escort Suzi Taylor is back in custody, weeks after being freed on bail on drug trafficking charges.
It is alleged Ms Taylor was caught with methylamphetamine at Southport on Thursday.
Police allege the former star of The Block was behind the wheel without a licence and ignored police directions to stop on Stapylton Jacobs Well Rd only the day prior.
The 53-year-old is also charged with breaching a bail undertaking she signed on August 1 – the same day she was granted release on drug trafficking charges.
It is alleged she was involved in trafficking heroin, MDMA, meth and marijuana between March 24 and July 13.
Ms Taylor is also charged with possessing quantities of those drugs, three firearms, and more than $55,000 said to be the proceeds of trafficking within that same period.
Her defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said during the earlier successful bail application that there was little evidence linking his client to the alleged trafficking operation or the firearms and other items allegedly found in her storage shed.
Mr Gatenby suggested the significant cash Ms Taylor was allegedly found with could be linked to her career as a “high-class escort”.
“There are links to celebrities at Channel 9 and the like that are alleged to be clients of Ms Taylor, so that’s not a controversial proposition,” he told the court at the time.
Ms Taylor’s fresh charges include evasion offence at night, possessing dangerous drugs, breaching bail, unlicensed driving as a repeat offender, and failing to stop on a red traffic arrow or stop line. She was held in custody after her arrest.
Her case was briefly mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday, where it was heard Ms Taylor was in hospital. The matter was adjourned to Friday for a “likely” bail application.
The drug trafficking charges were listed for mention on August 27.
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Originally published as Former The Block star turned escort Suzi Taylor hit with fresh charges after drug trafficking allegations
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