Amanda Sturtridge: Caboolture mum jailed for drug-trafficking

A Moreton Bay woman, undeterred by a parole order for her first period of drug-trafficking, got straight back in the game. It’s meant she had to become a first-time mum behind bars.

A Moreton Bay mum who was granted immediate parole release for trafficking in cannabis, describing herself at the time as the “perfect citizen”, got straight back in the game upon her discharge, leading to a second arrest and the ignominy of having to give birth behind bars.

Caboolture woman Amanda Jayne Margaret Sturtridge, 25, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Wednesday to four drug-related offences, most seriously trafficking in cannabis.

The court heard Sturtridge trafficked cannabis in company with two others, who cannot legally be named as charges against them are still pending, between April 11 – August 31 last year at an address in Caboolture South.

Sturtridge’s drug-trafficking was aggravated as it straddled her sentence for a previous one-month stint for trafficking in cannabis, for which she was dealt with on July 2 last year.

Therefore, she was on bail for more than half of her current offending and on parole for the rest.

On that previous occasion, Judge Leanne Clare SC sentenced Sturtridge to two years’ imprisonment, with immediate court-ordered parole.

Judge Clare’s community-based order was made despite Sturtridge’s blitheness towards her predicament – the court on Wednesday heard she described herself to Judge Clare as the “perfect citizen”.

The court heard the later, more substantial trafficking period involved up to 57 customers to whom she made 182 supplies.

Caboolture drug trafficker Amanda Jayne Margaret Sturtridge, 25.

Her trafficking continued despite a search warrant being executed on her residence on July 8, 2020.

Two days after the original search, which did not result in any charges against Sturtridge, she told a customer it was okay to come around to collect an order of cannabis, they just needed to be “really careful”, the court heard.

A second search warrant was executed on August 31, which resulted in the current charges.

Sturtridge was discovered in possession of quantities of cannabis, methylamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.

Sturtridge’s parole was cancelled on September 11 last year and she has spent the intervening period, a total of 411 days, in custody serving out her pre-existing sentence, which is due to expire on July 2 next year.

Defence counsel Tracy Thorp told the court this is the first time she had been incarcerated and she suffered the further ignominy of having to give birth to her firstborn while behind bars, about five months.

At this submission, Sturtridge began weeping.

Ms Thorp said Sturtridge came from a “difficult background” and had “expressed eagerness to do the best she can for her son”.

Judge David Kent QC sentenced Sturtridge to two years’ imprisonment, cumulative on her existing sentence, and set her parole-eligibility at January 11 next year.