Sharni Lea Ward in court for Bloomsbury, Airlie Beach driving, drugs, stealing offences

An Airlie Beach woman with aspirations to work with children has checked into rehab after committing multiple crimes while in the grips of a meth addiction.

An Airlie Beach woman with aspirations to work with children has checked into rehab after committing multiple crimes while in the grips of a meth addiction.

Sharni Lea Ward, 28, faced Proserpine Magistrates Court on seven charges resulting from offences in the Whitsunday region in March and August this year including crashing a friend’s car after doing a burnout at Bloomsbury and stealing from two Airlie Beach clothing stores.

The court heard Ward’s licence was disqualified at the time of the March 7 Bloomsbury crash, and that she was in possession of 0.8 grams of MDMA, a pipe, and a set of pliers for removing security tags when police searched her on August 6 in relation to the Airlie Beach shoplifting.

Sharni Lea Ward pleaded guilty to seven charges including dangerous driving. Picture: Facebook

She pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, disqualified driving (repeat offender), breach of bail two counts of stealing, possessing dangerous drugs and other drug-related charges.

Defence lawyer Peta Vernon told the court Ward was a qualified beauty therapist with a supportive family, work experience in a range of industries including mining, mustering and cleaning, and a goal to work with children in the future.

Ms Vernon said her client had struggled with drug addiction and homelessness since “falling in with the wrong crowd” at age 19 but recently started treatment at a Townsville inpatient facility in an effort to turn her life around.

“Unfortunately, meth was her drug of choice, and life has been a bit of a cycle – she’s been couchsurfing, she hasn’t really had a proper home in 10 years,” Ms Vernon said.

“Things have been particularly bad the last couple of years … [and] it reached a peak when she was charged with these offences.

“She was suggested rehab and that’s what she did.”

Sharni Lea Ward has lost her licence for more than two years for dangerous driving. Picture: Facebook

Acting magistrate Ron Muirhead acknowledged Ward’s efforts to address her drug issues, but also noted multiple disqualified driving convictions in her history that meant the penalty had to be “taken up a level” from the fines previously imposed.

“You were in court for the same offence [disqualified driving] in 2019, then again in 2020,” he said.

“For a person who just blatantly ignores court orders three times in just over two years, the court should consider a term of imprisonment.”

Ward was sentenced to three-months’ jail suspended for two years, as well as a $1000 fine and 2.5 year licence disqualification.

She was also ordered to complete 12 months’ probation and to pay restitution to Airlie Beach Cotton On and City Beach for about $160 worth of stolen clothing.

Convictions were recorded.