Yeppoon cleaner Megan Letitia Turi Smith busted with meth

A woman who claims to have fled an abusive relationship where the family car was allegedly torched and she was threatened with having her face “blown off” has been busted with a large amount of drugs.

A woman who claims to have fled an abusive relationship where the family car was allegedly torched and she was threatened with having her face “blown off” has been busted with nearly five grams of methamphetamines.

Megan Letitia Turi Smith, 38, pleaded guilty on March 30 in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton to one count each of possessing more than two grams of a dangerous drug, possessing drug utensils, possessing dangerous drugs, possession of property suspected to have been used during a drug offence, possessing property suspected to be proceeds of drug sales and fail to comply with a police order.

Police executed a search warrant on Smith’s Taranganba residence on April 2, 2021, about 8am.

They located 4.911g of pure meth inside a clip-seal bag located in a tin container inside Smith’s handbag, along with $230 cash.

The court heard Smith denied knowledge of the meth, telling police a friend must have placed it in her bag when she was driving.

Police also located two clip seal bags containing 0.055g of meth in 0.074g of substance and a tablet.

Smith refused to provide details required to access the electronic information on the tablet.

In a cupboard in the laundry, police found two clip-seal bags containing 3.3g of marijuana, along with pipes, scales, loose clip-seal bags, and a glass jar containing 0.41g of MDMA.

They also found $315 cash in a box.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden told the court Smith had been in a verbally, emotionally and physically abusive relationship with the father of three of her children.

She said her client had “freed herself” from that relationship, which involved the family car being torched, other items destroyed and threats of Smith’s head being blown off, and she was now in a new, positive relationship.

Ms Mardsen said while Smith was in that abusive relationship, she used marijuana and ice.

She said Smith was introduced to ice by that abusive partner.

Justice Graeme Crow said information provided to the court showed Smith had difficulty quitting smoking marijuana and used ice recreationally when in the abusive relationship.

The court heard Smith went to school in Townsville, Charters Towers and at Yeppoon State High School.

She had her first child when she was 17 years old and her second about a year later.

She now works as a cleaner.

Justice Crow sentenced Smith to 18 months prison with immediate parole due to her lack of relevant criminal record, her employment and the fact the drugs found were for personal use.