Lynessa Michell Abel sentenced in court for evading police

A Rockhampton mother of nine has avoided jail time for disqualified driving and evading police due to needing upcoming surgery.

Lynessa Michell Abel pleaded guilty to a raft of charges.

A Rockhampton mother of nine has avoided jail time for disqualified driving and evading police due to needing upcoming surgery.

Lynessa Michell Abel, 39, was intercepted by police for driving while disqualified on April 18, 2022 at Rockhampton and did not stop for police, a court has heard.

Abel pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on January 30 to three counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one count each of possessing utensils or pipes that had been used, driving without a licence disqualified by a court order, evading police and possessing S4 or S8 medicines.

The court heard Abel had possessed a small amount of methamphetamine, a pipe, 1.32g of meth, 1.53g of marijuana and Viagra.

Defence lawyer David Mills said his client had problems with drug abuse in the past.

Mr Mills said, regarding the driving offences, his client had panicked and just drove off.

“It wasn’t a high speed chase,” he said.

He said his client had chronic back pain and had been on heavy medication and needed surgery, with a specialist waiting for a date in February.

In a medical letter read out to the court, it was heard Abel was offered corrective spinal surgery, most likely to take place in January to February.

The court heard Abel had been on the waitlist for some years for spinal fusion and had not received surgery on a number of occasions due to the birth of her nine children or being incarcerated.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said Abel was “not doing much for looking after herself” if the surgery was her main concern.

Senior Constable Rowe said it was concerning that Abel had committed the further drug offences after the driving offences in April 2022.

“I feel like it seems to be now it is an issue when she is dealing with matters before the court,” she said.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said Abel had put herself in a difficult position.

“I believe drug use has ruined your life and if you don’t stop I don’t believe you are going to avoid committing offences and going to jail,” Ms Beckinsale said.

“If I send you to jail I believe you are going to miss out on the surgery and you may deteriorate even further than what you have.

“It is almost a certainty that if you commit any like offence you will be returned to prison.”

Abel was sentenced to nine months’ prison with immediate release on parole.

She was also ordered to 18 months’ probation, fined $7437.50 and disqualified from driving for two years with convictions recorded.