Megan Louise McInnes: Sunshine Coast meth trafficker jailed

A Sunshine Coast mother in her 30s has been revealed in court as a major player in the region’s insidious drug network.

A Sunshine Coast mother trafficked extraordinary quantities of methamphetamine and GHB, linking up with other dealers to pool their money and expand the operation.

Baringa woman Megan Louise McInnes, 31, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court to 11 drug-related offences, most seriously three counts of trafficking and one each of possessing a commercial quantity of GHB and money laundering.

McInnes was arrested on October 16, 2019, following a search warrant that uncovered the extent of her empire.

Her trafficking business consisted of three phases, the court heard.

Firstly, between January 28 and May 9, 2019, McInnes sourced ounces of methamphetamine and litres of GHB from a supplier to onsell to customers.

When her original supplier was arrested and remanded in custody on March 11, she continued her business after sourcing a new supplier.

McInnes’ second and most serious trafficking phase occurred between May 6 and July 17, 2019, when she entered into a “partnership” with another trafficker.

“They were pooling money to source methamphetamine conjointly,” Crown prosecutor Bernard Berger told the court.

Baringa drug trafficker Megan Louise McInnes, 31. Picture: Facebook

Mr Berger told the court McInnes and her partner sourced up to 5–10 ounces of ice at a time to wholesale in amounts of up to several grams at a time, as well as wholesale amounts of GHB.

The court heard the trio were in “daily” contact, exchanging 1399 calls and text messages over the period, using cypher phones and encrypted messaging apps.

McInnes was responsible for sourcing product, chasing debts, gauging demand and assisting in logistics and transport.

On June 13, 2019, McInnes’ partner sent her a tick sheet showing the pair were owed $37,190 from 21 customers, the court was told.

On July 3, McInnes was charged with money laundering relating to her work at her mother’s bakery franchise in Kawana.

The court heard McInnes, over a 14-week period between June and September 2018, helped launder $26,000 on behalf of a drug associate, while her mother “turned a blind eye”.

McInnes’ mother, Kerri-Anne, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment wholly suspended for two years in the Maroochydore District Court on July 27 last year for her role in the money laundering.

The court on Monday heard McInnes’ being charged with money laundering caused her partnership with the other trafficker to “break down”, yet remarkably just weeks later was back in the trafficking game, her third phase of the business.

This involved McInnes on her own trafficking in GHB only between July 21 and her arrest on October 16, 2019 following the execution of the search warrant.

The warrant uncovered McInnes in possession of 2.6L of GHB, a significant quantity of precursor drug GBL, a tick sheet indicating she was owed $8675, and a variety of other drug paraphernalia.

McInnes has been remanded in pre-sentence custody ever since, a period of 726 days.

Defence counsel James Godbolt told the court his client intended moving to Caloundra to live with her mother and two children, and wanted to secure work as a veterinary assistant.

He said character references tendered on behalf of McInnes showed that, “Ordinarily, when free of drugs, she acts with kindness and consideration.”

“One can only hope two years in custody has been a learning experience,” he said.

“She’s certainly done everything she can (to rehabilitate) during that time.”

Justice Glenn Martin sentenced McInnes to seven-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, with immediate parole eligibility.