Leanne Lynette Belsham breaks down as drug charges lead to criminal conviction
A mother of two young children found in possession of cannabis, meth and more than $14,000 in cash, has had her plans of becoming a paramedic turned upside down with a criminal conviction to her name.
Southeast
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A 38-year-old single mother of two with no criminal history for 18 years started to openly weep when she was told at court one could face a 25-year prison sentence for selling drugs from one’s home.
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Appearing at the Wynnum Magistrates Court yesterday Leanne Lynette Belsham pleaded guilty to a string of charges including supplying dangerous drugs, permitting use of place and multiple counts of possessing dangerous drugs and drug utensils.
The court heard a police raid on Belsham’s Manly West property at around 4.10pm on May 3 uncovered 270 grams of cannabis, 38 grams of cannabis buds, 2.59 grams of methamphetamine and $14,010 in cash alongside a grinder, glass pipes and clip seal bags.
Further aggravating her offending, the court heard a subsequent police raid on the property on July 5 found three grams of cannabis, a drug pipe and a grinder.
The court was told Belsham made admissions to police in each instance.
Defence solicitor Rhys Foster said his client accepted responsibility for her offending and clarified that most of the actual drug supply had been carried out by Belsham’s then partner.
Mr Foster said the defendant was charged with drug supply mainly on the back of text messages found on her phone and that the actual supply, by his client’s hand, never moved forward.
The court heard Belsham was a single mother to a five and nine-year-old, had fallen into drug use after she had lost her job as a vehicle inspector and had just started training as a paramedic.
However, magistrate Zak Sarra made clear that Belsham, despite her virtual lack of criminal history, would have to declare the criminal conviction she would get for what were “very serious drug charges”.
The magistrate explained to a clearly distraught Belsham that anyone dealing drugs from their home was considered to be “higher up on the food chain” for the greater impact they have on society, and so face more severe penalties.
Belsham was sentenced to six months’ jail suspended over 18 months with a conviction recorded.