Jade Strachan pleads guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to public nuisance, wilful and unlawful damage, menace and harass, drugs

A woman who lashed out at her neighbour for being a ‘police informant’ following a drug raid on her home has appeared in court for her violent and reckless behaviour, including damaging another’s shed with a skateboard.

A mum-of-six who racked up 11 charges during her two year offending spree has told a court she’s ‘embarrassed’ and ‘remorseful’ of her behaviour.

Wandoan woman Jade Strachan, 28, pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to three counts of public nuisance, two counts of possessing utensils associated with a dangerous drug, two counts of unlicensed driving, wilful and unlawful damage, using a carriage service to menace, possessing a dangerous drug and drug driving.

Police prosecutor Mathew Donnelly said Strachan’s string of offending began back in September 2021 when she drove to the Wandoan house of a woman she had fallen out with on Facebook and tried to initiate a fight.

“The defendant has used a mobile phone to access and send several messages to the victim and her partner using Facebook messenger,” Mr Donnelly

“The contents of these messages are threatening and sent with the intent to intimidate and cause offence.”

The threatening text messages directed at the victim and her partner were read aloud in court, with one threatening to kick the woman’s head in, and in another message Strachan said to the victim “Tell your slut to get out the front you kiddy f--ker”.

The messages were followed by three phone calls that were not answered by the victim.

“When the defendant did not get a response from the victim, the defendant has picked up a skateboard from the front yard and swung it, using the wheels to damage the side of the shed by smashing a hole,” Mr Donnelly said.

“Occupants of the address and other members of the public contacted police regarding the threatening and offensive language by the defendant.

“She accepted her actions would be distressing to members of the public, she felt embarrassed in the town due to her actions.”

Jade Strachan pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to eleven offences.

Almost a year later on September 14, 2022 Strachan was caught driving unlicensed as she yelled profanities out of her car window at residents.

Witnesses told police Strachan was driving her vehicle up and down the street and at one stage parked in front of a house in Wandoan and screamed profanities out of her driver’s side window.

Strachan told police the victim woman had sent insulting text messages about her to a friend.

Police checks revealed Strachan didn’t hold a driver’s licence.

A month later on October 20, police were called to Strachan’s address after she began verbally abusing and threatening her next door neighbour, alleging he was a police informant after police raided her home an hour earlier.

At 8.05am that morning, police executed a search warrant where they found and seized an electric grinder, water pipe, scissors, a plastic tub container and 4.5 grams of ‘brownish material’ and told police she was a “habitual cannabis smoker”.

Police returned to Strachan’s address only an hour later after reports she was threatening her neighbour.

“Police attended the address and observed the defendant and her sister were standing out the front of their own address,” Mr Donnelly said.

“The defendant and her sister approached police and stated their neighbour had yelled out to them and called them ‘junkie dogs’.

“The defendant’s sister said she reacted and called the neighbour out front to fight.”

The victim neighbour showed police video footage from the incident, which clearly depicted the two women yelling threats while standing in front of the man’s house.

Mr Donnelly said Strachan’s behaviour has been “uncomfortable for the residents of that small township”.

Defence lawyer Leslee Reed said her client is a single mum of six children all under 10 years of age.

“She does take cannabis on a regular basis and was self medicating as she suffers from severe anxiety,” Ms Reed said.

“She acknowledges she’s acted very badly and if she had any issues she should’ve gone to the police. She’s remorseful for that.”

Magistrate Shane Elliott said the facts indicated Strachan handles conflict poorly.

“This is all really childish isn’t it, it’s just got to stop,” the magistrate said.

“There’s got to be better ways of handling conflict than the way you have.

“This level of offending is just people being pests.”

Strachan was placed on an 18 month probation order and disqualified from driving for three months for each of the unlicensed driving charges and one month for the drug drive charge.

Convictions were recorded.