Bianca Leigh Serio in Rockhampton court for trafficking dangerous drugs

A mum was ‘not living in luxury’ when she signed onto a drug trafficking operation supplying marijuana and more than 50g of meth.

A mum became a trafficker’s sidekick – collecting debts, passing on information and supplying dangerous drugs, to feed her own addiction.

Rockhampton Supreme Court heard Bianca Leigh Serio trafficked methamphetamine across the Rockhampton region between November 20, 2020 and February 1, 2021, under the direction of Darren Burnell.

Crown prosecutor Caleb Theunissen said Burnell supplied 51.85g of methamphetamine across 34 occasions to 24 customers for about $34,400.

Mr Theunissen said in addition to Serio, Burnell had six other dealers operating under him.

Burnell was sentenced to five years’ prison, suspended after serving two years and operational for five years.

Bianca Leigh Serio (right) leaving Rockhampton Courthouse on April 20, 2023.

The court heard Serio’s role in Burnell’s operation was revealed during the 12-month police operation Sierra Decompress with telephone intercepts showing she was his employee.

“She collected drug debts of at least $7700 on behalf of Burnell,” Mr Theunissen said.

He said Serio introduced Burnell to other drug associates and passed them information at his request.

The 31-year-old mother also supplied drugs four times including the preparation to supply MDMA, an unknown amount of marijuana for $17,000, 3.5g of meth, and another unknown quantity of meth.

Mr Theunissen said her actions were “both to reimburse Burnell’s drug debts and to feed her own addiction”.

“She was frequently in debt to Burnell who often chastised her for failing to pay him on time,” he said.

“She was not living in luxury.”

Darren Steven Burnell.

Mr Theunissen said Serio continued supplying dangerous drugs while on bail for drug trafficking, twice supplying meth on April 9 last year.

Four days later, police searched her Allenstown home and found a prescription bottle with 6.5 alprazolam tablets inside.

Serio declined to provide police access to her mobile phone and lied saying it was not hers.

Defence barrister Scott Lynch said Serio lived with her daughter near Emerald and had worked “arduously” at rehabilitating including engaging with Drug ARM before going into custody.

“She instructs she has been abstinent since just prior to going into custody in April 2022,” Mr Lynch said.

“She has had mental health problems in the past and continues to be medicated for anxiety and depression, but is functioning and working.

“That is a very different position to what she was in when she was under the claw of Burnell who was very controlling of her.”

Serio pleaded guilty on April 20 for trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing a thing used in connection with trafficking dangerous drugs, contravening order about device information from digital device, possessing dangerous drugs and two counts of supplying dangerous drugs.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill sentenced Serio to three years’ jail with immediate parole and declared 129 days of pre-sentence custody as time already served.