Amber Louise Schroen pleads guilty to 22 counts of supplying dangerous drugs

A young woman who began using drugs during her tertiary studies spent more than 250 days in jail after being caught with incriminating messages on her phone.

A very relieved young woman broke into a big smile when she was this week told by an Ipswich judge that her jail time had ended and she would be freed after being convicted of drug crimes.

Amber Louise Schroen, from the Lockyer Valley, appeared from jail via video-link before Ipswich District Court for sentence, with the 20-year-old pleading guilty to 22 offences of supplying dangerous drugs.

She also pleaded guilty to 15 lesser charges including three counts of being in possession of dangerous drugs; failing to properly dispose of used needle/syringe; possession of anything used in commission of a crime; possession of tainted property; possession of drug utensils; trespass; commit public nuisance; and three counts of failing to appear at court.

The court heard incriminating messages were found on her mobile phone, providing the evidence of her drug activities.

Crown prosecutor Victoria Adams said Schroen’s offending was committed over a period of four months.

Following her arrest she had spent 254 days in jail.

The court heard her criminal history included three prior offences for drug possession.

Ms Adams said the offences for sentence were toward the lower end of the scale and involved three supplies of methylamphetamine, one offer to supply methylamphetamine, 13 counts of doing acts preparatory to supply, one preparatory act to supply MDMA, two counts of offering to supply cannabis, and two offers to supply an unknown drug.

Defence barrister Scott Neaves said Schroen never contested the charges and made admissions to police at the time.

“She is a young lady with very real prospects of rehabilitating herself. She wants to get on with life,” he said.

“She has a good education behind her and there is no reason you would be seeing her again.”

Judge Dennis Lynch QC relieved Schroen of any anxiety about the penalty, saying he would sentence her to 12-months jail with immediate parole given time already served in jail.

“It means you can go home today,” he said.

“Oh, thank you,” a smiling Schroen said.

Judge Lynch warned that it did not end there as she would have to comply with her parole conditions.

“Hopefully you don’t want to go back there,” he said.

“No, no,” said Schroen.

“None of us want to see young people like you wasting life in jail,” he said.

Judge Lynch said she must do everything she could to stay away from using drugs.

He noted that there had been a real change in her attitudes, her significant steps at rehabilitation while in custody, and the positive comments made by her mother and an aunt in their letters to the court.

Judge Lynch said her drug offences between April and July last year were detected when police seized her phone at Browns Plains in August.

She was also in possession of a small quantity of cannabis and liquid GHB, and had bankcards belonging to others.

He said the supplies were done to help fund her own use, with some inquiries made by her friends, and that she began using drugs while doing tertiary studies after leaving school.