This little girl died while her mum was in jail

Meth dealer Jessie-May Sutton told to put her 11-year-old son first after judge hears her little daughter died while Sutton was locked up

Jessie-May Sutton with her daughter Holly. Some six years after this photo, Holly died from a blood clot. Sutton was in prison at the time, serving a sentence for drugs and is behind bars again for drugs.

THE last time Jessie-May Sutton was jailed for trafficking drugs, her six-year-old daughter Holly died suddenly and the drug dealer had to seek special release to attend the funeral.

This time, a judge has warned the Ipswich woman to put her remaining child - an 11-year-old boy - first when she leaves prison for yet again selling methamphetamine and cannabis.

Sutton on Friday faced Brisbane Supreme Court, pleading guilty to a total of eight charges including trafficking and possessing a dangerous drugs.

The court heard she was busted selling the drugs while she was on a suspended sentence for similar offending committed in 2013-14 - and that offending had happened while she was on parole for similar crimes.

The latest charges stem from Sutton selling ice and cannabis in 2017 and 2018.

The business operated for five months and had a regular roll call of at least nine recurring customers in what Justice David Boddice called a "sophisticated" operation.

The 29-year-old mother of two would give her customers lines of credit and arrange for an associate to come down on those users who did not repay their debts.

Sutton also often traded drugs for property.

She had more than a year to go on the suspended sentence when she was busted.

Justice Boddice noted that he was the person who had sentenced Sutton the last time she was in court and that back then he had given her the benefit of the doubt and was more "lenient than usual".

He noted he had previously heard of Sutton's hardships raising two children - the youngest Holly who had ongoing health concerns including cerebral palsy.

This time thought Sutton's story took a tragic twist.

Holly fell off a trampoline, with her head slamming into concrete.

She received what was thought to be a minor injury.

Some eight months later, the child had a headache and lay down in bed.

Holly never woke up, with her family believing the blood clot that killed her stemmed from the fall.

Sutton was in jail when her daughter died and had to get special permission to attend her funeral.

Still - despite having another child to care for - she swiftly started selling drugs again when she finally left prison in 2017.

"It is difficult for anyone to deal with a loss of a child but it is even harder where the death is sudden and there is no indication that it is going to happen," Justice Boddice said.

"What is difficult to comprehend is how you did not see your other child as being a motivating factor to stay away from drugs.

"There is no doubt you have a terrible addiction to this drug."

Justice Boddice sentenced Sutton to three years in prison and due to time serve ordered that she be eligible to apply for parole five days before Christmas. - NewsRegional

Originally published as This little girl died while her mum was in jail