Tania Elizabeth McLachlan: 100 ‘strips’ of prison drugs found in mum’s dressing gown

A health worker has collapsed in court and wept after learning she’ll be imprisoned for two years due to her son’s repeated attempts to turn her into a drug mule.

Buprenorphine is a type of suboxone, a opioid prescription drug popular with prisoners: SAPOL

A health worker has collapsed in court and wept after learning she’ll be imprisoned for two years due to her son’s repeated attempts to turn her into a drug mule.

Tania Elizabeth McLachlan, 52, pleaded guilty in Townsville District Court to two counts of supplying buprenorphine - an opioid prescription drug popular in prisons - to a correction centre, and one count of supply dangerous drug.

Crown prosecutor Ashley Gaden said in 2023 McLachlan was contacted by her son Daniel who was a prisoner in Townsville Correctional Centre at the time.

“He’d accrued a debt in custody, and was being assaulted and stood over,” Ms Gaden said.

“She succumbed to her son’s requests to assist.”

During McLachlan’s sentencing, the court heard details of the 52-year-old’s first incident with police last year.

Daniel John McLachlan pleaded guilty for his role in supplying the dangerous drug Buprenorphine (suboxone) to a correctional facility.

This occurred when the son gave his mother a number to ring which belonged to a woman referred to as “old love” who told McLachlan “the paperwork” would arrive soon and gave her a tracking number for the parcel.

Police intercepted the parcel at an AusPost facility in Thuringowa and found 99 stripes of buprenorphine inside the envelope.

McLachlan was arrested, immediately bailed, and fined $1500 for the envelope which was addressed to her - a light sentence reflecting her complete lack of criminal record.

Police also searched her phone and found evidence of McLachlan supplying 7.5g of meth to another person.

80 suboxone strips found on visitor leaving Macquarie Correctional Centre. Buprenorphine is a type of suboxone. Picture: Supplied

The court heard the intercepted buprenorphine supply did not put the mother-son duo off and the son again instructed his mum to contact an associate and this time arrange for the drugs to be dropped off at her house directly.

A few hours after the scheduled drop off, police executed a search warrant at McLachlan’s house and found 100 strips of buprenorphine hidden inside a dressing gown on December 4, 2023.

The 100 strips had a prison value of over $39,000, the court heard.

Defence barrister Kellie Mythen said the son had prison debts in the range of $40,000.

Ms Mythen painted a picture of a woman trapped in a desperate family dynamic - McLachlan’s marriage, business and family had collapsed due to her husband’s increasing drug use, the court heard, and one son was in prison.

Ms Mythen said her client had cut herself off from associates who used illegal drugs and was working full-time hours at her place of employment where she’d been for some 22 years.

Judge Brad Farr said it seemed McLachlan was “enthusiastic” to help her son.

“I note you made no attempts to contact the prison authorities and deal with it in the lawful way,” Judge Farr said.

“Drugs in prison cause immense problems, both to the discipline of the prison itself and the rehabilitation prospects of inmates.”

McLachlan wasn’t supported by a single friend or family member when she arrived in court on Thursday, September 19, with a handbag, dressed in sandals, a long skirt and denim jacket.

McLachlan stood with her arms wrapped around herself, huddled in the dock as the judge made his remarks, and almost collapsed to her knees when she realised Judge Farr intended her to serve actual time, crying as security ushered her towards the watch-house.

McLachlan was sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be given parole at the five month mark, February 18, 2025.

Originally published as Tania Elizabeth McLachlan: 100 ‘strips’ of prison drugs found in mum’s dressing gown