Plainland miner Stephanie Maree Sangster jailed for ice trafficking

A Lockyer Valley miner has been jailed for a six-month drug spree which saw her arrested four times but keep offending.

A Lockyer Valley drug trafficker with a 7g a day meth addiction continued to offend despite being arrested and released on bail four separate times.

Plainland woman Stephanie Maree Sangster, 32, a mining industry worker born in Kingaroy, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday to dozens of offences.

They included, most seriously, trafficking in methamphetamine and GHB between February 29 and April 28 last year, two counts of possessing a commercial quantity of meth, three counts of supplying a dangerous drug, possessing a shortened rifle with ammunition, and myriad summary offences which includes possessing a knife in a public place, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and possessing drug paraphernalia.

The court heard Sangster was arrested and released on bail four times before her ultimate remand in pre-sentence custody after her fifth arrest on August 17 last year.

Her first arrest was on April 20 last year at Coolibah St, Southport.

A police search of her vehicle uncovered a small quantity of meth, a knife, a glass smoking pipe and digital scales, and a shortened rifle with a bolt, magazine and 31 .22 calibre rounds in a leather pouch.

Plainland ice-trafficking miner Stephanie Maree Sangster, 32. Picture: Facebook

Sangster was arrested again on April 27 at after she was detected in a stolen car at Parramatta Rd, Underwood.

Sangster and her passenger fled police but we’re tracked by Polair to a Springwood shopping centre, where they were arrested.

The court heard Sangster was discovered in possession of 8.8g pure meth in 12.1g of substance and a mobile phone, analysis of which uncovered the drug trafficking.

Sangster’s trafficking involved sourcing meth in quantities of up to an ounce and dealing it to at least 20 customers in amounts of up to a quarter ounce.

This was described as an intensive street level operation by Crown prosecutor Ron Swanwick.

Sangster’s next arrest occurred on May 31, when a search of her vehicle uncovered a knife, 9g pure meth in 11.8g of substance, a small quantity of cocaine, a vial of GBL liquid, a stun gun, and a variety of drug paraphernalia.

Her fourth and final arrest prior to her remand in pre-sentence custody occurred at Main St, Narangba, on August 5 where she was discovered in possession of a small quantity of meth.

Sangster was finally locked up on August 17 when she was discovered asleep at the wheel at McLellan Ct, North Lakes.

A search of her vehicle revealed another vial of GBL liquid, a conducted-energy weapon (similar to a taser), a syringe and needle and two insulin injections pens.

Analysis of her mobile phone revealed she had supplied dangerous drugs three times in the previous week.

She had spent 392 days remanded in pre-sentence custody prior to today’s sentence.

Defence counsel Penny White told the court Sangster had a severe meth addiction at the time of her offending, consuming up to 7g of the drug a day.

She tendered a voluminous bundle of character references as well as certificates for courses Sangster had completed while incarcerated.

Justice Peter Callaghan sentenced Sangster to four years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended after time served for an operational period of four years.

He also placed her on three years’ probation.

Sangster will not be released today, however, due to outstanding charges in another jurisdiction which were not able to be transmitted to the Supreme Court.

Sangster would be making a bail application on some of those charges on Thursday, Ms White told the court.