Mackay mum of four Rachel Palmer pleads guilty to supplying meth
The mother of four ‘acted as an intermediary’ when she supplied the highly addictive drug meth to others. Here’s how it unfolded.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A meth-dealing mum of four has avoided spending any time behind bars after she supplied the highly addictive drug in multiple street-level deals.
Mackay woman Rachel Palmer “acted as an intermediary” when she provided methamphetamines five times over about two and a half weeks in October 2022.
Mackay District Court heard her offending came to light when police executed a search warrant and uncovered information on her phone.
The amounts included two points of meth on three occasions, three points and an unknown amount for between $140 and $210.
The court heard Palmer only received $40 payment for her role in two of the sales.
When she was arrested she was also busted possessing 0.176g of pure meth over eight separate bags and had spent no time in custody on remand.
Palmer pleaded guilty to seven charges including five counts of supplying dangerous drugs, and one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
The court heard the 41-year-old spiralled into drug abuse in 2017, when she was aged 34, with her offending escalating to the recent drug supplies that were committed three months into a four-month good behaviour bond.
Both the crown and defence agreed immediate parole so she could continue on her rehabilitation journey was the appropriate penalty, the court heard.
Judge Jennifer Rosengren accepted it was an early guilty plea but noted it was in the context of an “overwhelming crown case”.
“You were acting as an intermediary for this lot of offending,” Judge Rosengren said.
The court heard this was Palmer’s first time in court for anything as serious as supplying dangerous drugs, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years jail.
“Life has not been easy for you, I can see that,” Judge Rosengren said.
The court heard Palmer had been exposed to domestic violence in relationships more than once and had even faced homelessness.
Palmer was supported in court by family, now had accommodation and was working on her rehabilitation.
“If you put your foot back in this court again with another supply you should prepare yourself for the fact you will be actually serving time in jail. Do you understand?” Judge Rosengren told the mum of four.
“You have some little people in your life who do not have an ounce of say in what you are doing.
“The reason why the court approaches supplies of methamphetamine so seriously is because we see on a day-to-day basis it is a highly addictive and highly destructive drug.
“It destroys families and it’s going to destroy yours if you don’t get a hold of it.”
Palmer was jailed for 12 months with immediate parole. Convictions were recorded.
Qld man allegedly groomed teen boy for three years
Detectives have seized the devices of a CQ man who allegedly engaged in a sexual act with a teen online after a long period of grooming.
‘Did not occur’: Man claims allegations he raped his wife are ‘lies’
A Qld man is accused of raping his wife shortly after a miscarriage and again while she was seven months pregnant. He has outright denied the allegations. Trigger warning.