Melissa Leanne Francis pleads guilty to breaching a suspended sentence
A woman with a lengthy history of drug offending has been told that jail is inevitable if she cannot sort out her addiction problem
Ipswich
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A MUM has been told by Queensland’s Chief Judge to get off drugs because her ‘nonsense’ kept resulting in her getting into trouble with the law.
New drug related convictions mean the Gatton woman again breached a suspended jail sentence imposed for a trafficking offence in 2017.
Chief Judge Brian Devereaux SC warned Melissa Francis this week that her drug use would inevitably result in her going back to jail.
Melissa Leanne Francis, 36, pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended sentence at Ipswich District Court.
Office of Director of Public Prosecutions legal officer Chantel Phillips said Francis had been sentenced by an Ipswich judge in September 2018 for the drug trafficking committed in 2017.
When police raided her Gatton home in that crime they found many stolen items.
Francis told the officers that the items came from “rakers” who shop-steal in exchange for drugs.
Ms Phillips said Francis told police she was a single parent and had little money.
A set of scales and clip seal bags were used to weigh and supply the cannabis, Francis saying her clients would give her $25 worth of stolen goods to receive the cannabis.
Francis received a two-year jail order for the 2017 offences, immediately suspended for three years. She also received an 18-month supervised probation order for a separate drug related charge.
Ms Phillips said Francis had a criminal history of drug offending that began in 2006.
She had breached the suspended jail sentence by being convicted in October last year of driving when her saliva proved to be positive for methamphetamine and cannabis on August 24, 2020.
On January 25 this year at Gatton Magistrates Court she received a probation order for drug related offences.
Ms Phillips said police searched Francis’s house on July 24 last year and found her in possession of nine grams of cannabis, electronic scales, and clip seal bags.
Ms Phillips said there was no evidence to show Francis had addressed her drug addiction.
Defence barrister Rob Carroll outlined ongoing medical issues faced by Francis.
He said it was quite clear there had been relapses back into drug use.
He argued for the court to extend the operation time of the existing suspended sentence and that she be allowed to continue on a probation order.
Chief Judge Devereaux said Francis previously breached the suspended order but the Ipswich judge she appeared before had sentenced her to the rising of the court.
He said, however, that she had a positive report while on probation.
Chief Judge Devereaux extended the operation of the suspended jail order for another 12 months.
“The result of all this nonsense is that you are still coming before the court on the 2017 offence. Stop taking drugs and stop returning to court,” Chief Judge Devereaux said.
“The inevitable result is you will be sent to jail.”
Originally published as Melissa Leanne Francis pleads guilty to breaching a suspended sentence
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