Expectant mum Xanthe Renee Gibson hopes pregnancy pauses her worrying meth habit

“If that (pregnancy) doesn’t stop you using drugs, I don’t know what will”: A Central Queensland mother has vowed to stop using drugs after she was busted driving under the influence twice.

A Central Queensland woman expecting her second child has faced court for driving with methamphetamines in her system twice while she was on probation for drug offending.

Xanthe Renee Gibson, 30, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on November 24 to two counts of drug-driving and one count of possessing drug utensils.

The court heard that Gibson was caught driving with meth in her system on the Bruce Highway at Childers on June 9.

In the car, police found a glass pipe which had been used to smoke meth and a straw connected with drug use.

Then on August 2, Gibson was caught again driving with meth in her system, this time on Callide Street at Biloela.

The court heard that as well as the previous drug-driving offence on her traffic history, Gibson also had “a number of” drug-related offences on her criminal history.

A solicitor said Gibson was currently unemployed and pregnant expecting her second child.

She explained that Gibson was educated to Year 9 at Biloela and was last employed in 2015 as a farm manager.

The solicitor said Gibson had been introduced to drugs by a former partner.

“In respect to the second matter (offence), my client instructs that she had just found out that she was pregnant, she had a small smoke of cannabis but immediately stopped because she felt that she hated herself, and was very disgusted with her behaviour exposing her unborn child to that material,” the solicitor said.

At that point, Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale commented that Gibson had tested positive to methamphetamine so that was what she was subjecting her unborn child to.

The solicitor said that Gibson had not consumed drugs since the latter (August) offence.

Ms Beckinsale had some advice for Gibson.

“If that (pregnancy) doesn’t stop you using drugs, I don’t know what will,” the magistrate said.

Ms Beckinsale placed Gibson on probation for two years and disqualified her from driving for six months.

A conviction was recorded.