Chantslea Sue Curran jailed for breaching suspended prison sentence for drug dealing
A young Gympie woman with a three-week-old baby committed 15 offences while on a suspended jail sentence and will now spend time behind bars.
Police & Courts
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A young Gympie mother previously convicted of drug dealing and now with a three-week-old baby has been jailed after breaching her original suspended sentence for those crimes.
Chantslea Sue Curran, 23, returned to Gympie District Court on Tuesday morning for reoffending she committed in the wake of her April 2022, sentence for supplying dangerous drugs.
At the time she was sentenced to 12 months’ jail, wholly suspended, and 30 months’ probation.
On Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Christie Nicola told the court Curran had reoffended, committing 15 offences since then, including a number of drug-related crimes between January 2023 and August 2023.
Her latest offending included unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two counts of supplying dangerous drugs, and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs.
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She was sentenced at Gympie Magistrates Court on October 3, 2023 to six months’ jail over this offence, with 43 days of presentence custody declared and an immediate parole release date.
Ms Nicola said those offences added to a growing criminal history, saying the 23-year-old “had been consistently in court” for various offences since she was 18.
This history included dishonesty offences and possessing weapons, the court heard.
Defence lawyer Phil Hardcastle told the court Curran had given birth to a child only three weeks ago.
The child arrived four weeks premature, and was cared for during the court appearance by Curran’s sister, who sat in the public gallery.
Curran had finished studying at Victory College in Year 10 and worked as a cleaner, Mr Hardcastle said.
She had been trying to get help for her drug use.
“It’s not just easy for people to stop,” Mr Hardcastle said.
“She is trying to do something about it.”
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Judge Brad Farr pointed out this submission was essentially the same as had been made on her behalf the last time she faced court.
He told Curran it was “quite apparent you simply disregarded the orders” made at her previous court appearances, and had a “history of ignoring (probation and parole) orders”.
“It’s quite apparent you have a drug problem,” Mr Farr said.
“One would hope that is a genuine submission (about seeking rehabilitation) on your part.”
Judge Farr found Curran in breach of the April 2022 suspended sentence and activated the original 12-month jail term.
He gave her an immediate parole eligibility date but said it did not mean she would be immediately released from custody.
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