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Mackay mum Chantelle Leigh Pike pleads guilty to failed roadside meth deal

Patrolling police recognised a man and watched as he spoke to someone in a car on the roadside, before he pulled $300 cash out of his pocket. Here’s what happened.

Chantelle Leigh Pike leaves Mackay Supreme Court after being sentencing for possession and supplying dangerous drugs on September 21, 2023. Photo: Toby Crockford.
Chantelle Leigh Pike leaves Mackay Supreme Court after being sentencing for possession and supplying dangerous drugs on September 21, 2023. Photo: Toby Crockford.

A roadside drug deal was about to go down, until the buyer spotted patrolling police watching as he had cash out ready to hand over to the supplier through a car window.

Mother-of-two Chantelle Leigh Pike – the car driver and methamphetamine supplier – has pleaded guilty to possessing and supplying dangerous drugs.

The deal was set for December 3, 2022 on a Mackay street, but patrolling police had spotted the buyer, who was a man known to them, beforehand.

They watched as he spoke to someone in a car on the roadside before pulling $300 cash out of his pocket. The man then spotted the onlooking officers and put the money away.

Mackay Supreme Court heard Pike, who was 35 at the time, was arrested and later searched at the watch-house when police found a clip seal bag in her underwear.

Her car was also searched and three more clip seal bags were found.

In total, the four bags contained more than 3 grams of methamphetamine.

Police searched Pike’s phone and found a message from the male buyer from earlier in the day reading: “Can we meet up? I have 300.”

Chantelle Leigh Pike leaves Mackay Supreme Court after being sentencing for possession and supplying dangerous drugs on September 21, 2023. Photo: Toby Crockford.
Chantelle Leigh Pike leaves Mackay Supreme Court after being sentencing for possession and supplying dangerous drugs on September 21, 2023. Photo: Toby Crockford.

The court heard she had a two-page criminal history with seven drug-related sentences dating back to 2006. Her traffic record also had two drug-driving convictions in 2018 and 2021.

Pike has struggled with a methamphetamine addiction since 2017. But this was her first time in the supreme court, with previous matters dealt with in the Magistrates Court.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan told the court Pike recently got a job as a supermarket cleaner, which was her first employment in years.

He added Pike had done drug and parenting courses in prison, and she planned to remain drug free after these charges were finalised, having been clean during her stay in pre-sentence custody.

During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, Justice Graeme Crow decided there was “no benefit” to sending Pike back to jail.

“You must understand the difference between probation and parole – it’s a different kettle of fish,” he said.

“With probation, if you misbehave like last time, the officers sometimes don’t get around to breaching you, sometimes they do.

“With parole, they don’t have to breach you, they simply have to sign a document and the police come and grab you and take you to prison.

“It is important that people who want to turn their back on drugs continue on a path to do so, and it seems you have been motivated to do so to see your daughters.

“But the reality is that the drugs are highly addictive and it will be a battle for you.”

Justice Crow noted Pike’s five-and-a-half months in pre-sentence custody.

He jailed her for 18 months with immediate parole release because of the time already served.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/mackay/mackay-mum-chantelle-leigh-pike-pleads-guilty-to-failed-roadside-meth-deal/news-story/c9ff1d6a932d686925d690c0923f2f8a