Pregnant makeup artist walks free on probation for online coke sales

A Queensland makeup artist and mum-of-two who is pregnant with twins has been paroled after selling cocaine and other drugs to her friends via the encrypted app Signal.

Secure messaging app Signal is on the top downloads on Apple Store and Google Play platforms in several countries. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

A Queensland makeup artist who is pregnant with twins has walked from court on parole for selling cocaine and other drugs to her friends via the encrypted app Signal.

Samantha-Jo Beverstock, 36, from Mount Gravatt, appeared in the Brisbane District Court on Friday before Judge Michael Byrne where she pleaded guilty to 16 counts of supplying various drugs, mostly cocaine, and three charges of possession of drugs including cocaine in Wynnum West, Tingalpa and Chandler.

Crown Prosecutor Stipe Drinovac told the court that Beverstock supplied cocaine to 12 customers, selling up to 3g of the drug in one deal, and offering up to 7g for sale.

Judge Byrne said he inferred from evidence before the court that Beverstock was dealing drugs “to a reasonably small group of friends” between September 20, 2019 and September 26, 2020, in part to support her own drug habit.

Her offending involved seven actual supplies of drugs, for about $2000, and nine offers to supply drugs.

“There is one offer to supply of a ball of cocaine for $1,100,” Judge Byrne said.

“So it’s not all remnants from the bottom of clip seal bags that you are dealing with,” he said.

“It was not referred to by (your) counsel but the elephant in the room is that you are also pregnant with twins due in May of this year,” he said.

“If you don’t turn things around, your children are going to have a role model who is sitting in jail. That’s the reality,” he said.

Her defence counsel submitted that Beverstock had a difficult childhood and had left home aged just 14 years old.

Judge Byrne noted that Beverstock was dealt with for cocaine possession in the Brisbane Magistrates Court in December 2020, and in the Southport Magistrates Court in June 2021, for crimes committed in August 2020.

“They were large amounts of drugs with roughly eight grams of pure cocaine, and four grams of pure MDMA, and you were dealt with on the basis of personal use,” Judge Byrne said of the Southport Magistrates Court conviction.

“That shows you had a significant drug issue at that time,” he said.

Beverstock was sentenced to two-and-a-half years jail, with immediate parole, and convictions were recorded on all 19 charges.

The 79 days she spent in pre-sentence custody was taken into account, after she breached her bail on 18 November 2021.