Chloe Victoria Smith has been granted bail on new drug charges

Police found her in her bedroom with a locked door. Inside it is alleged officers discovered a large amount of ice and $15k cash.

Police allegedly found Chloe Victoria Smith and Liam Michael Dunworth in the bedroom of her Rural View home as well as a large amount of cash and drugs.

A Mackay beauty salon owner facing serious drug charges has been granted bail after a magistrate found there was nothing to suggest what her role was in any alleged enterprise.

Chloe Victoria Smith and Liam Michael Dunworth were allegedly found in a locked bedroom of a Rural View home with a significant amount of ice and cash, a court heard.

Police raided the property on April 29 and allegedly found more than $15,345 and 10.99 grams of methylamphetamines.

Both Ms Smith and Mr Dunworth have been charged with aggravated drug possession and possessing cash allegedly from drug sales.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard when police executed a search warrant at the home where Ms Smith lived, she and Mr Dunworth “were located in the main bedroom of the dwelling with the door locked”.

Chloe Victoria Smith and Liam Michael Dunworth are charged with possessing an aggravated amount of ice as well as cash from alleged drug supplies.

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A search of the room allegedly uncovered a bag of methylamphetamines, cash and diazepam.

During a bail application for the 26-year-old mum of three, barrister Malcolm Harrison said Mr Dunworth had allegedly indicated the “large amount” of drugs and money belonged to him.

The court heard a statutory declaration, prepared through Mr Dunworth’s lawyers, had been provided to police, who “refuse to allow him to sign it”.

Mr Harrison said it was the case then “at best” Ms Smith was allegedly in “constructive possession” of the drugs.

“Mr Dunworth, as I understand, has also indicated he’s going to plead guilty on that basis,” Mr Harrison said.

“There’s a very, very good chance any possession that she’s convicted of is going to be a constructive possession.”

The court heard Mr Dunworth was on a return to prison warrant as he had been on parole at the time he was charged.

Liam Michael Dunworth is accused of possessing an aggravated amount of ice as well as cash from drug supplies.

Prosecutor Rob Beamish said he had an unsigned statutory declaration.

“Police are not assisting in the signing of that because what’s contained in that declaration is inconsistent with what (Mr Dunworth) has told police prior,” Mr Beamish said.

“They won’t be a party to that.”

The court heard Ms Smith was facing 42 charges including trafficking in ice, supplying dangerous drugs and 17 breaches of bail that related to contacting a co-accused and her partner Reece William Luscombe.

She had been on bail on these charges when she was arrested last week.

Mr Beamish told the court the drugs had been found on top of her bedside table and the cash inside her bedside table.

Mr Beamish added police also allegedly found $800 cash and 1.89 grams of ice in Ms Smith’s bag in her vehicle, as he argued why she was an unacceptable risk of committing further offences.

The court heard Ms Smith said she knew the drugs were in her bag, but claimed they belonged to someone else.

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Chloe Victoria Smith is facing fresh charges of aggravated drug possession, possessing cash from alleged drug supplies and possessing restricted drugs.

In relation to the trafficking charges, which allegedly occurred between November 2018 and March 2020, Mr Harrison said on the brief of evidence it appeared his client had been “running errands” for Mr Luscombe.

“She was obviously aware that there was drugs being sold but it couldn’t be said that she was the main contributor to that business,” Mr Harrison said.

The court heard Ms Smith had already pleaded guilty to a number of drug-related charges, which would be dealt with once the more serious charges had been finalised.

Acting magistrate John Aberdeen said it appeared these related to possessing prescription drugs without a prescription.

Mr Aberdeen said there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence linking Ms Smith to the drugs or money found in her room and there was “no indication before me of exactly what role” she allegedly played in any venture.

Mr Aberdeen said the evidence before him showed that Ms Smith “was in company with somebody who is a convicted drug offender”.

Chloe Victoria Smith is facing fresh charges of aggravated drug possession, possessing cash from alleged drug supplies and possessing restricted drugs.

“I am not prepared to draw an inference at this stage that Ms Smith was involved in the possession of the amount of amphetamines found in the bedroom or in the money,” Mr Aberdeen said.

Mr Aberdeen said it was “a possibility” but that he “needed more than a possibility” to remand someone in custody, adding there was a real risk Ms Smith “may be remanded in custody because of the company she keeps”.

Mr Aberdeen said it was not apparent to the court that she was a “major player” in the trafficking charges.

She was granted bail and must not contact Mr Dunworth. Her case will be mentioned again later this month.

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Originally published as Chloe Victoria Smith has been granted bail on new drug charges