Abbie Lee O’Brien, 38, pleads guilty to holding man hostage, punching him and dealing drugs

A Brisbane drug dealer has faced court after she held one of her heroin customers hostage, interrogating and punching him repeatedly in the head over a four-hour period, a court has heard.

A Brisbane drug dealer who held one of her heroin customers hostage has been berated in court and told her actions were an “ugly example” of what drugs can do to people.

Abbie Lee O’Brien, 38, pleaded guilty to six offences in the Brisbane District Court on Thursday including assault, deprivation of liberty, and supplying dangerous drugs.

The court heard Ms O’Brien was helping her partner – who has been separately charged – deal drugs out of their apartment on February 23 last year, when some heroin suddenly became “lost”.

A male customer inside the apartment at the time was accused of taking the heroin, and told to “empty his pockets and pull his pants down, exposing his genitals”.

He was then detained and interrogated in the apartment for four hours with Ms O’Brien repeatedly punching him in the head, the court heard.

The court heard the man tried to negotiate his release, even offering to pay $1,500 and when finally allowed to leave, went straight to the police.

Justice Jennifer Rosengen called the event an “ugly example of what drugs can do to you.”

“He tried to escape but he slipped and you dragged him back into the unit. He told you that he was scared,” Justice Rosengen said.

“He was told that he wasn’t allowed to leave and for the next few hours you continue doing drugs.

“This is a very, very ugly example of what drugs can do to you and by the look of you standing in the dock you are thoroughly disgusted by your own behaviour.”

The court heard Ms O’Brien had a longstanding drug addiction, and lengthy criminal history involving drug and property offences, but no history of violent offending.

Justice Rosengen said Ms O’Brien was a “tragic” case of somebody with addiction, made worse by the fact that at times, Ms O’Brien was able to turn away from drugs and get her life back on track.

“You have managed to clean your act up on occasions in the past, so that’s quite a bit more tragic,” Justice Rosengen.

“That you do have the capacity to do this, to turn your life around, but then let yourself down again.

“You are a living example of how drugs can destroy lives.”

Ms O’Brien was sentenced to two years jail, with her 216 days spent in pre-sentence custody counted as time served.

Justice Rosengen granted Ms O’Brien immediate parole.