Michelle Ellen Whishaw sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court for drug trafficking

A Stafford Heights was busted for starting a drug trafficking operation shortly after police caught her with 6g of pure meth. See why she avoided jail time.

A Stafford Heights woman has avoided jail time after being busted for starting a drug trafficking operation just after police caught her with 6g of pure meth.

Michelle Ellen Whishaw began trafficking drugs shortly after moving out of her father’s house in 2019, the Brisbane Supreme Court heard.

Crown prosecutor Chontelle Farnsworth said Whishaw had first come to attention of police after she was caught with about 6g of pure meth, but despite this she began trafficking shortly after.

She said Whishaw would deliver drugs to her customers, sometimes multiple times a day, and used “coded language” to avoid detection.

Whishaw was charged with trafficking drugs for about six weeks between September 1 and October 12, 2019.

On one occasion Whishaw offered to supply an unknown amount of MDMA and another time she organised to supply GHB, which is commonly used as a date-rape drug.

Michelle Ellen Whishaw leaving Brisbane Supreme Court on January 28, 2022.

Whishaw pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of trafficking in dangerous drugs, supplying schedule 1 dangerous drugs, supplying schedule 2 dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drug specified in schedule 1 or 2 and possessing dangerous drugs schedule 1 drug quantity of or exceeding schedule 3 but less than schedule 4.

The court heard Whishaw had a “troubled upbringing” and suffered from several mental health issues, some of which were diagnosed after her offending.

Defence barrister Kylie Hillard said Whishaw had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety in her 20s, bipolar disorder and epilepsy.

She said in 2020 Whishaw was told she had schizophrenia but she had ceased her medication for this as it caused seizures.

Ms Hillard said Whishaw had been unemployed for three to four years and had first used MDMA in 2018 and cocaine in 2019.

In his sentencing remarks, Justice David Boddice said it was to her credit that Whishaw had pleaded guilty but that she still had engaged in serious criminal conduct.

He said Whishaw’s criminality would justify a four year sentence were it not for her “significant” mental health issues and the detriment time in custody could have on her rehabilitation.

Whishaw was given a head sentence of three years with immediate parole release.