Former preschool teacher Brette Earl’s life spiralled downwards due to meth

A mother, preschool teacher and volunteer firefighter was introduced to a highly addictive drug after moving to Central Queensland. Things went from bad to worse when she started supplying drugs to others.

A mum was introduced to a highly addictive illicit drug after relocating to Central Queensland from a remote community in the Northern Territory where she had been a preschool teacher and volunteer firefighter.

Brette Kathleen Livingstone Earl, 33, pleaded guilty on June 3 in Rockhampton District Court to 15 counts of supplying illegal drugs.

Crown prosecutor Maryam Yousufzai said police discovered the supplies - 10 offers to supply methamphetamines of which three occurred and five of offering to supply marijuana of which three occurred - after intercepting her driving on July 16, 2021.

Ms Yousufzai said the highest supplies of the six were two of 0.5 grams of meth and two lots of seven grams of marijuana.

She said police executed a search warrant at Earl’s residence on June 19, 2021, and located a clip-seal bag with an illegal drug residue, a used syringe with blood on it, straws and two homemade drug pipes.

Ms Yousufzai said the supplies took place over a 39-day period towards the end of June to mid-July in 2021.

She said Earl’s traffic history included a drug-drive on May 24, 2021, when she had meth in her system.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said her client, who had relocated from the Northern Territory to Central Queensland after the breakdown of her marriage in May 2018, tried meth for the first time in October 2020.

She said Earl used it again in December 2020 and January 2021.

“Essentially she started spending time with people that were using drugs and she commenced a relationship with a drug user,” Ms Willey said.

“She instructs that wasn’t a happy relationship.”

Ms Willey said Earl was using the illicit substance almost daily in the lead up to being charged for supplying drugs.

Ms Willey said her client was a qualified chef, working in the industry for 12 years, before changing careers and working at a preschool in a remote indigenous community in the Northern Territory for six years, and was a volunteer firefighter, mainly in the road crash and rescue areas.

She said Earl moved to Central Queensland to be near her mother after her marriage broke down, and due to her daughter only being seven-weeks-old at the time, she did not initially obtain employment but did complete certificates in aged care to work in that sector which she started in June 2019.

The court heard Earl suffered a traumatic experience in April 2021.

Ms Willey said her client lost her job by June 2021 due to drugs resulting in her not turning up to work or her taking leave because she wasn’t able to undertake her role.

She said Earl returned to work in August 2021 having undertaken some drug rehabilitation by that time.

Ms Willey provided the court with documents about Earl’s rehabilitation efforts between being charged and the sentence date, including the results of four drug tests between September 2021 and April 2022.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the information provided to the court confirmed Earl, “despite a terrible downturn” in her life, had picked herself back up again.

He said a letter written by her mother did not “sugar coat” what Earl had been through or had done, which he was impressed by.

“Sometimes courts can be a little apprehensive about receiving references from family members, especially someone who is so close to you as your own mum, but (Earl’s) mum has certainly spelled out how difficult your life was and how she’s seen you make amends,” Judge Clarke said.

He sentenced Earl to 15 months’ prison, wholly suspended and operational for 15 months.