Joanne Leigh Hawthorn and Barbara Gay Ward in court for drug trafficking

In a case of rags to riches and back again, one of the women couriered drugs between Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast and at one stage ran the entire operation. Read what was said in court.

Two women who were part of the same drug trafficking ring were sentenced in the Maryborough Supreme Court this week.

It was a case of rags to riches, with one of the women selling drugs to fund her own habit and the other earning $8000 in one week and upwards of $50,000 during her time in the drug ring.

Joanne Leigh Hawthorn, 52, was the first to be sentenced on Wednesday.

She pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, stealing and possessing anything used in connection with a crime.

Hawthorn had been part of a meth ring allegedly headed by Kim Beech, the court was told.

It heard police had targeted the operation over a lengthy period and during that time Hawthorn made multiple drug deals, mostly meth but sometimes cannabis, to 25 customers.

Between 0.1 grams and 3.5 grams of meth was sold during the transactions, while the largest deal involving cannabis amounted to 14 grams, the court heard.

Hawthorn made more money from her dealing, using the funds to feed her own drug habit.

The court heard Hawthorn had an extensive criminal history, much of it also related to drugs.

She also suffered from mental illness, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and was not on medication at the time of her offending.

Convicted drug traffickers Joanne Leigh Hawthorn, 52, and Barbara Gay Ward, 60.

The court heard her offending in this instance was relatively low, street level offending to support her own drug use.

Hawthorn was sentenced to two and a half years jail, with immediate parole.

Barbara Gay Ward, 60, faced Maryborough Supreme Court on Wednesday, appearing in front of Judge David Jackson.

She pleaded guilty to unlawful drug trafficking, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils and pipes and receiving tainted property.

The court heard her main role in the ring was to courier drugs between Hervey Bay and Brisbane and in one instance, the Gold Coast.

The exact quantities of drugs being transported were unknown.

Ward allegedly let Mr Beech store drugs at her property and during one week, she essentially ran the business, with a turnover of about $16,000 during that week, of which she received $8000, the court was told.

It was difficult to determine the amount of money she made during her time in the ring, but it was estimated at about $50,000.

The court heard Ward, who was supported in court by her siblings, had been unemployed after injuring her back and had been receiving unemployment payments since moving to Hervey Bay.

She had been used by Beech as a courier because of her lack of criminal or traffic history, the court was told.

Ward was not addicted to meth, but used it casually.

Judge Jackson said from the evidence placed before the court, Ward was of excellent character.

He said her offending was out of character, compared with the course of the rest of her life.

Ward was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, wholly suspended. Judge Jackson said the chance of her reoffending was low.