Kara Sherylee Wood sentenced in Rockhampton Supreme Court

A court has heard how a mum-of-three began trafficking meth and marijuana to “mitigate” the cost of her own habit, making $2000 in one drug sale alone.

Kara Wood was sentenced in Rockhampton Supreme Court for drug trafficking.

A mum-of-three has been jailed after she began a street-level drug trafficking enterprise to cut the cost of her own drug use.

Kara Sherylee Wood, 33, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Supreme Court to a number of offences, including drug trafficking, drug supplying, possessing more than two grams of meth, possessing things used in the commission of trafficking drugs, possessing things used in the supplying drugs.

She also pleaded guilty to 20 other offences, including possessing drugs, possessing used pipes or utensils, obstructing police and possessing utensils, pipes etc with intention to use.

The court heard Wood was engaged in drug trafficking for a month and 22 days between October and December 2022, supplying 20 different ‘customers’.

Her supplying included meth and marijuana, but she supplied meth “more regularly”.

Rockhampton Courthouse.

Wood’s supplying was described as “street dealing”, usually supplying to end users, but there was one transaction where she supplied a more wholesale quantity.

On November 7, 2022, Wood was contacted by a customer who asked her to supply him with a “half ball” of meth.

The court heard Wood sold her drugs for “typical market prices” of about $100 for a point or $2000 for 7g.

Her most expensive sale was of $2000, where a customer asked for Wood to catch up with their friend from Etna Creek.

Wood asked the customer how much they wanted and they responded they would try to call her.

The customer then transferred $500 and Wood asked for another $250, sending a photo of a large amount of substance in a clipseal bag.

The customer then transferred three lots of $500 to Wood’s bank account using pay ID.

The court heard Wood’s trafficking enterprise was to “mitigate” the cost of her own drug habit.

On December 15, 2022, police searched Wood’s car at Kawana at 11pm.

Officers asked for Wood’s name and licence and could smell the strong scent of marijuana before they began their search.

While officers were dealing with another occupant in the car they could see Wood trying to conceal something around her torso.

Officers later did a pat-down search of Wood when she was out of the car and felt a bulge in her bra.

Wood started moving around and yelling at police, at one point saying “f--k off, I have nothing in my f---ing bra”.

Justice Graeme Crow. Pic: Annette Dew

Wood was later found to have meth in various amounts concealed in her bra.

Crown prosecutor Bianca Volling told the court Wood had serious offending in her criminal history, which included drug offences and armed robbery.

She said Wood had continued to commit drug offences while on bail.

Wood’s barrister Jordan Ahlstrand told the court his client had the support of her family and submitted a bundle of 19 supporting documents, which included character references and material to show her extensive attempts at rehabilitation while in custody.

Mr Ahlstrand conceded that Wood’s criminal history aggravated the potential sentence she could get.

He said Wood had found the five and a half months in custody a “blessing in disguise” allowing her to abstain from drugs and work on rehabilitating herself.

Mr Ahlstrand told the court when released Wood would be living with her parents and had proven she could live a law abiding life, with the 10 year gap in her history.

Justice Graeme Crow took into account Wood’s plea of guilty and her “deeply concerning” criminal history when considering his sentence.

Justice Crow also took into account Wood’s rehabilitation work while in custody, that she had the support of her family and the 10-year gap in her offending.

Wood was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment.

Her five and a half months of presentence custody was not declared as time already served and she will be released on parole on November 30.