Drug dealing cleaner steals expensive electrical goods from motel guests

Despite the string of 14 offences including supplying drugs and possessing ice, the mother of seven was offered a contract to continue working at the motel, the Stanthorpe court was told.

A Stanthorpe drug dealer stole a number of expensive items including electrical goods, money, clothes and designer items from guest rooms while working as a motel cleaner.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa told the Stanthorpe Magistrates Court Nicole Marie Horton was on probation for prior drug offences when she broke into four rooms at the Murray Gardens Motel while working as a cleaner.

Sergeant de Lissa said in the last two weeks of January, the 42-year-old stole a Nintendo Switch, Bluetooth speakers, earpods, a Calvin Klein satchel, $30 cash, denim shorts and cigarettes.

A police search of the mother-of-seven’s home on January 25 located the stolen items as well as 0.1g of ice, 0.6g of marijuana, four hypodermic syringes, a metal grinder, scissors and a mobile phone.

“A mobile phone forensic download indicated (Horton’s) involvement in the supply of dangerous drugs,” Sergeant de Lissa said.

Horton’s phone revealed conversations about the supply of marijuana on December 21 and January 6, 8, 15 and 16, Sergeant de Lissa told the court.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine said her client has a long history of substance abuse and began using ice as a teenager.

“All the money she made (from the supply of marijuana) was used immediately for her own (drug) habit,” she said.

Ms Hine added that the motel owners took Horton in and “put her on her feet” as she was homeless and sleeping in public toilets.

“(She) has a lifetime of very poor decision making. The offending was certainly opportunistic, there were no circumstances of aggravation,” she said.

Ms Hine said Horton continued to work at the motel as a cleaner with the owners holding the 42-year-old in “high regard”.

Magistrate Julian Noud said Horton breached the trust of many visitors to the motel by breaking their privacy and stealing their valuables.

“Your victims suffered a great inconvenience and intrusion when you broke into their place,” he said.

“You were supplying drugs to satisfy your own drug addiction, (but) your long-term addiction cannot excuse your crimes.”

Horton pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying drugs, four counts of entering a dwelling to commit an offence, two counts of possessing drugs, one count for possessing property used in the commission of a crime, one count of possessing drug utensils, and one count of failing to properly dispose of needles and syringes.

The Stanthorpe woman was jailed for five months and 14 days, but released on immediate parole.