Mikaela Turner: Southern Highlands hairdresser refused bail over alleged drug supply
A glamorous, young hairdresser is accused of supplying cocaine hidden in Kinder Surprise eggs and ecstasy-shaped like Ninja Turtles across the Southern Highlands.
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A glamorous hairdresser has been refused bail after a months-long investigation allegedly revealed she was a major supplier of cocaine, MDMA and GBL in the Southern Highlands.
Mikaela Turner, 25, was arrested and charged with 17 offences including supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis on Friday, after police raided her Berrima home, allegedly uncovering green MDMA pills shaped like Ninja Turtle heads, cocaine hidden inside plastic Kinder Surprise eggs and ammunition.
The hairdresser faced Wollongong Local Court on Monday, where she sobbed while Magistrate Michael refused her application for bail, saying it was a “very strong case”.
Turner and her 40-year-old partner Joshua Jennings became the subject of a police investigation in February, with the establishment of Strike Force Grantown.
In documents tendered to the court on Monday, police allege on multiple occasions while Jennings was in custody on unrelated matters, Turner sold drugs to a police operative.
On one occasion in March, police allege Turner supplied the operative a gram of coke for a negotiated price of $400. The deal allegedly took place at Turner’s Berrima home, with police facts detailing she handed the drugs over in a plastic resealable bag branded with a ‘love heart-eyes’ emoji sticker.
The following day police allege in documents the operative made a purchase from Turner, being 3.5 grams of cocaine for a price of $1400.
On April 27, police allege the operative went to Turner’s home to pick up and pay for another 3.5 grams they’d previously negotiated a price of $1200 for.
During the alleged meeting, police allege in court documents that surveillance captured Turner weighing up the white powder, before she told the operative she could also supply MDMA pills, liquid GBL, ice and cannabis.
It’s alleged Turner showed the operative a canister of green MDMA pills shaped like Ninja Turtle heads, and gave them one as “free sample”.
It’s further alleged following this meeting, Turner sent the operative her “price list” which included fixed prices for MDMA and GBL, and that she also had a price for ‘pearl’- meaning cocaine.
Between April 15 and April 28, police allege Turner supplied undercover operatives with a total 11.54 grams of cocaine and 0.27 grams of MDMA.
When Jennings was released from custody on April 29, police allege in the documents he would assist Turner with the sale of drugs.
On Friday, police stopped a Mazda 3 being driven by Jennings, allegedly finding him with $5500 cash. He was charged with five offences including take part in supply prohibited drugs and deal with proceeds of crime and was released to bail on Friday.
Police then travelled to Turner’s home, where they allegedly found two men in her study, which had been converted into a hair salon. Police claim during a search of the men, they found 17 Ninja Turtle pills, and declared the home a crime scene.
Subsequent searches of the home allegedly uncovered 100 more of the pills, 4 grams of ice, ammunition and an amount of cannabis leaf, as well as $3500 cash in Turner’s handbag and two one-gram bags of cocaine hidden inside Kinder Surprise eggs.
Drug ledgers and letters Turner had written to herself were also uncovered, where she allegedly bragged that she’d been taking business from other suppliers.
“In the last three weeks I’ve been killing it,” she allegedly wrote.
“I’ve been taking others’ business and I know they’re not happy … I laugh because at the end of the day it’s a job and I’ll go wherever the pearl goes…”.
During her appearance in court on Monday, Turner cried as she told Magistrate Love the letters weren’t about drugs, they were about her hairdressing business.
In refusing her application for bail, Magistrate Love said Turner was “not a minor player” in the alleged operation, and that if found guilty could face a maximum of 20 years jail.
Turner, who sobbed right throughout her appearance, will return to court in June.