Nateesha Barlin appeals jail sentence for concealing boyfriend’s drug dealing
A former topless waitress jailed for a minimum of six months for hiding her boyfriend’s $50,000-a-week drug dealing operation has had her sentence slashed on appeal.
A former topless waitress jailed for a minimum of six months for hiding her boyfriend’s $50,000-a-week drug dealing operation has had her sentence slashed on appeal.
Nateesha Jennifer Barlin was sentenced in May to 14 months jail with a non-parole period of six months for concealing a serious indictable offence.
The 24-year-old from Wyee successfully appealed the severity of her sentence in Gosford District Court today where Judge Tanya Bright reduced the non-parole period to three months and ordered she serve it within the community.
Judge Bright also ordered she perform an additional 250 hours of community service work and obtain from drugs.
But Judge Bright did not impose a non-association order after the court heard Barlin hoped to rekindle her relationship with her defacto of four years, Dylan Shaw, “after he is rehabilitated”.
That was despite her solicitor conceding her offending was in part out of loyalty to Shaw and in part because she profited from the lifestyle it afforded.
“Isn’t he the reason why she offended?” Judge Bright asked Barlin’s solicitor.
To which he replied “yes”.
Barlin’s solicitor said Shaw had entered a plea of guilty and was awaiting sentence.
“He’s going to be in jail for quite some time,” her solicitor said.
Barlin and her musclebound beau Shaw were arrested and charged in November 2016 following a two-year sting by Australian Border Force officers who intercepted 11.2 litres of testosterone, 600ml of anabolic steroids and 20 vials of human growth hormone.
After protracted court proceedings, the pair both pleaded guilty to various charges of possess and deemed supply of prohibited drugs for their respective parts in the “criminal enterprise”.
While awaiting sentence Shaw was arrested at Belmore in July last year with $179,000 cash in a hidden compartment in car while two of his alleged suppliers were found with $25,600 in cash and 586.6g of cocaine.
He was subsequently charged with several offences including the commercial supply of drugs and is due to be sentenced on those matters in September.
Judge Bright said police obtained recorded conversations over a four-month period where Barlin demonstrated she had quite a detailed knowledge of Shaw’s involvement in the sale of MDMA, cocaine and methamphetamine.
She said Barlin boasted he was “moving 2kg a week, making $50 grand a week”.
Judge Bright said Barlin also made admissions to police after her arrest and she was subsequently charged with concealing a serious offence.
Shaw was later sentenced to a minimum 11 months behind bars for importing and distributing steroids and human growth hormones.
Barlin was sentenced to an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO) of 18 months and given 300 hours of community service for her involvement in importing steroids.
Judge Bright today ordered Barlin serve an additional three-month ICO for the concealment offence, which will see her remain under supervision and on bonds until January 2, 2021.
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