Tia Nicole Muir, 30, and fiance Shannon Lee Gellwiler, 25, supplied marijuana in Biloela area
The couple’s offending was uncovered during a police drug operation in the Biloela area. Full details here.
Police & Courts
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A former Central Queensland couple – one whose family had a reputation of dealing drugs – have been busted supplying and possessing marijuana.
Tia Nicole Muir, 30, and her fiance Shannon Lee Gellwiler, 25, were sentenced in Rockhampton District Court on October 5, 2022, after entering pleas of guilty.
Muir pleaded guilty to eight counts of supplying a dangerous drug and one of possessing a dangerous drug.
Gellwiler pleaded guilty to nine counts of supplying a dangerous drug, two of possessing a dangerous drug and one of possessing a restricted item.
Crown prosecutor Millie Volck said the couple’s offending was detected during a police operation targeting the distribution of drugs in the Biloela area which started in July 2020.
She said Muir and Gellwiler were identified as persons of interest after police intercepted communications of a target yet to be dealt with by the courts.
Ms Volck said police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home on March 11, 2021, locating 20 grams of marijuana which Gellwiler told police was his.
She said intercepted communication between the target and Muir revealed the target asking Muir to leave her car unlocked while she was at work as he was planning to place a significant amount of marijuana in it.
Police intercepted Muir driving after her shift and found 230g of marijuana in it.
Ms Volck said Gellwiler arrived shortly after the intercept and claimed the marijuana was his.
Judge Jeff Clarke said Gellwiler was either being “chivalrous or had knowledge of that possession of that large quantity of drugs”.
Ms Volck said a second search of the couple’s residence on July 1, 2021, resulted in four mobile phones being located, one which was used by both offenders and when analysed, revealed messages regarding supplies of marijuana.
Ms Volck said most of the SMS and Facebook messages did not reveal how much marijuana was supplied, but the supplies did take place between March 4. 2020, and July 17, 2020.
Muir’s barrister Peter Feeney said his client, a mother of two, had been managing a fitness centre in Biloela at the time of the offending but had since relocated to Kingaroy where the father of one of her children lived.
He said the child Muir shared with Gellwiler received NDIS.
Gellwiler’s barrister Julie Marsden said her client planned to join Muir once he was released from custody.
Ms Marsden said her client has eight siblings with alcohol and drug use prominent in his family.
“He started using marijuana at the age of 13,” she said.
“His older brothers were drug dealers in the area.
“My client’s parents separated 20 years ago.
“He has a good relationship with his mother since she has managed to become drug free.
“He is estranged from his father at the moment.
“He has a good relationship with one brother who is present in court today and supports him but his relationship with other siblings is strained on the basis that they have been in jail.”
Ms Marsden said Gellwiler started drinking alcohol at 13 as well, and his drug use escalated to ice by the time he was 17.
She said at one stage, he was using seven grams per day.
Ms Marsden said Gellwiler’s partner, Muir, had been clean from drugs for three years, and the birth of their child had prompted him to get off the ice.
She said since his incarceration, Gellwiler had been completely drug free, and gained weight.
Ms Marsden said he had struggled with mental health issues and had been using sleeping tablets.
The court heard Gellwiler had been on eight months’ probation for drugs supplies, and had spent 461 days in pre-sentence custody.
Judge Clarke said the long time in pre-sentence custody had given Gellwiler “a long time to sit and reflect out on the concrete at Capricornia Correctional Centre about what a waste of your life you will lead if you keep on using drugs and getting in trouble and going to prison”.
He said a report provided to the court showed Gellwiler was working hard to change his lifestyle prior to these charges being laid.
“I understand that you were exposed to drug use from within your own family unit from a very young age,” Judge Clarke said.
“It’s very important you don’t return to the same lifestyle.”
Judge Clarke sentenced Gellwiler to 461 days’ prison and declared 461 days pre-sentence custody as time served.
He sentenced Muir to 12 months’ prison.
Muir was on a four-months’ prison suspended sentence at the time of this offending.
Judge Clarke activated that suspended sentence and ordered it be served concurrently with the drug supplies sentence.
He also ordered her immediate release on parole.
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