Kate Ellen Simmonds, Shawn Keith Chandler, and more sentenced for drug crimes in Warwick court

From a man with his drug stash stuffed in a safe to a Warwick mum nabbed driving twice with meth and weed in her system, these are the drug offenders sentenced in court recently.

A Warwick mother who was busted behind the wheel with multiple drugs in her system twice in only a few months was just one of the residents sentenced for drug crimes in court recently.

Police first nabbed Kate Ellen Simmonds on Wallace Street at 1.45pm on March 14, where she tested positive for meth and marijuana in her system.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard it was on the same street only months later on June 27 that the 39-year-old was again caught behind the wheel with both drugs in her system.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the mother was busted carrying 54g marijuana, 19 marijuana seeds, and a glass pipe on the second occasion.

“She has some history of a like nature, an unenviable traffic history and quite a bit of drugs. Obviously there’s an underlying issue there,” Sergeant de Lissa said.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine said Simmonds became addicted to painkillers after a serious injury during childbirth and had struggled with substance abuse ever since.

Ms Hine added that the single mother was under a great deal of stress caring for her 14-year-old son with severe autism, needing to help him with everyday activities and almost daily ‘meltdowns’.

“She’s had a real rollercoaster, where she’s had quite long periods where she hasn’t used and been completely clean, and then she’s relapsed again,” Ms Hine said.

“It is her aim to become completely drug-free, and she’s engaged with drug counselling.”

Simmonds pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving and one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils.

She was placed on probation for 12 months, fined $800, and disqualified from driving for nine months.

These were the other residents sentenced for drug offences in the Warwick court recently:

A Warwick man earned himself a court date after he was busted with a drug stash during a police raid.

Officers searched John Politis’ Warwick home on July 28, where they uncovered about 120g marijuana locked away in a safe, and another 20.8g of the drug in his bedside table drawer.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa told Warwick Magistrates Court that the 49-year-old was also busted with a bong containing burnt marijuana residue in his laundry.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman said the father-of-11 suffered debilitating nerve pain in his feet, for which he found marijuana to be the most effective treatment.

“He said he dreads night-times because as soon as he lays down to sleep, the pain increases. He has commenced discussions with his doctor for the use of medicinal cannabis as pain relief,” Ms Acreman said.

Politis pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils.

He was fined $850.

Cory James Pritchard-Hawkins ran into trouble when he was caught with a small marijuana stash in the Warwick CBD.

The 19-year-old was riding his bike through town on July 8 when he was pulled over by police, who uncovered 10g of marijuana in the teenager’s bumbag.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard Pritchard-Hawkins told officers he’d just bought the drugs, but would not reveal his source.

Duty lawyer Phillip Crook said the young man wanted to move to Brisbane to live with his mother and “get his life back on track”.

Pritchard-Hawkins pleaded guilty to one count of possessing dangerous drugs.

He was placed on a three-month good behaviour bond and order to complete a drug diversion program. No conviction was recorded.

A sneaky attempt to hide his drug stash from police proved unsuccessful for Shawn Keith Chandler, with the Warwick man earning himself a court date instead.

Police visited the man’s Pratten Street home on July 29, where they noticed Chandler trying to hide something in the back of his car.

A search revealed the 27-year-old’s contraband to be 40g marijuana and a used bong.

A self-represented Chandler told the Warwick court he’d lost his job due to Covid, but was studying while looking after his son full-time and hoping to turn his life around.

Chandler pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils.

He was fined $450 and no conviction was recorded.

IN COURT: All of these drug offenders were sentenced in Warwick Magistrates Court. Picture: file / News Regional Media

Diane Elise Syrch told the Warwick court it was almost entirely bad luck that she’d ended up before the magistrate.

The 37-year-old was busted with 0.1g marijuana at Dalveen on July 16, and police found an unsecured syringe when they searched her Warwick home a couple of weeks later on July 30.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard Syrch then failed to go to the police station and give her identifying details by the August 9 deadline.

Duty lawyer Amber Acreman contended her client had completely forgotten the needle was in her home and was only a day or two late to report to the Warwick police station.

Ms Acreman added that Syrch’s criminal history “spoke to extensive issues with drugs”, but the Warwick woman was now engaged with rehabilitation services to finally break her habit.

Syrch pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing dangerous drugs, failure to dispose of a syringe, and contravening a police requirement.

She was fined $250.

Levi Watkin Eyles was taken off the roads for just a month after he was busted behind the wheel with a party drug in his system.

The 39-year-old was pulled over on the Cunningham Highway at Inglewood on April 18, where he recorded a positive result for MDMA.

Defence lawyer Hamish Chapman said the father-of-four and plumber would suffer financial consequences during his disqualification period as it would impact his ability to get to jobs as a plumber.

Eyles pleaded guilty to drug driving. He was fined $350.