Banker’s downfall: Ex-bank manager, mum of two’s descent into drug use, trafficking

A mum-of-two with a masters degree who worked as a bank manager quit her job and turned to trafficking drugs with her husband, a court has heard.

Drug trafficker Christine Northfield leaving Brisbane Supreme Court. Picture: Liam Kidston

A mum of two with a masters degree who worked as a manager at Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank, turned her skills to trafficking in the drugs ice, ecstasy and GHB with her husband after she started smoking the drug ice from the trauma of miscarriages and failed IVF treatment, a court has heard.

In sentencing Christine Northfield, 43, from Riverhills for drug trafficking in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday, Justice Peter Applegarth referred to the cult TV show about ice trafficking, Breaking Bad.

Mrs Northfield, who walked free from court on a suspended sentence, pleaded guilty to trafficking ice between October 31, 2019 and February 1, 2020, as well as ten counts of supplying drugs, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon and other drug-related charges.

“Your husband and you trafficked in methamphetamine, MDMA and GHB for three months,” Justice Applegarth said.

“It was in the nature of a small business operation,” he said.

“I sentence you on the basis that your husband (Matthew) Rouse was the principal offender, you provided assistance to him to conduct this business,” he said.

Christine Northfield and husband Michael Rouse.

Pictures: Facebook

“You were involved in communicating with customers, arranging supplies to them, seeking payment for drugs, you would follow up debts, and occasionally directly supplied to customers,” he said.

“Mr Rouse would deliver drugs, when he was unwell you managed matters,” he said.

Justice Applegarth said that “up until your descent into drug use” Ms Northfield “led a an exemplary life”.

He said that Mrs Northfield was higher than a “street-level” dealer but below a wholesaler, in that some of her customers on-supplied to others.

She supplied up to an ounce of drugs at a time, and sometimes made sales through online apps, the court heard.

She was peddling the drugs while heavily pregnant with her now three-year-old son, who was born in February 2020, the court heard.

She stopped using drugs when she discovered she was pregnant in 2020.

Drug trafficker Christine Northfield on Monday. Picture: Liam Kidston

Summarising the agreed facts, Justice Applegarth said that Mr Rouse “had some grandiose plans” on growing the drug trafficking business.

“It’s apparent that there was shared ambition that you wanted to continue his business and takeover the customers of someone who went into custody,” Justice Applegarth said.

The court heard her husband Michael Rouse, 46, from Riverhills, is facing 30 charges in the Supreme Court, including drug trafficking in the same three month period as his wife, and 15 counts of drug supply.

His matters are next listed for mention on Wednesday.

Mrs Northfield claims she started selling drugs after becoming addicted after she was offered “the chance to smoke on a pipe” at a party when she was depressed following a miscarriage.

Until then she had a high-flying career in finance.

Justice Applegarth said it was “unusual” for someone to descend into drug use aged in their late 30s.

“You had an exemplary work history since you left university until these tragic events of 2019,” Justice Applegarth said.

According to her LinkedIn profile Mrs Northfield was a home finance manager with Westpac in Indooroopilly and Sherwood for nearly three years until January 2019.

She also states she worked for the Commonwealth Bank for nine years until 2016, most recently as a personal lending manager, and relieving branch manager.

The court heard that Mrs Northfield graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management at the University of Queensland, and a prestigious Master of Business Administration at the University of Southern Queensland.

Her defence counsel told the court that she feels a “great amount of shame” over her crimes and “no longer finds herself invited to some” family social events.

She has a 13-year-old autistic son with “high care needs” and a three-year-old with Mr Rouse.

After her arrest her mental health declined and she was hospitalised, the court heard.

“We have sympathy for what drugs did to your life, how it has blighted your life, completely transformed what was a successful life, isolated you from siblings and caused you all sorts of grief,” Justice Applegarth said.

But he added that the drugs she peddled also had the potential to inflict “the kind of wicked damage that drugs have done to you” to her customers.

Justice Applegarth sentenced her to a wholly-suspended four-years in jail for the trafficking, and for three years probation for the ten supply charges.

A conviction was recorded on all counts.

She must report to probation and parole in Inala.