Sophy So escapes jail time for 10kg of meth drug run from Sydney to Brisbane

A mother-of-four has told a court she was at the coercive hands of an abusive partner into doing an almost 1000km drug run from Sydney to Queensland. Read what happened in court.

Sophy So received a 15 month ICO at Newcastle District Court on Tuesday. Picture: Amy Ziniak

A mother-of-four from Sydney has told a court how she was punched in the head and coerced into helping her then partner of 11 years by driving a van full of drugs from Sydney and across the border to Queensland.

Sophy So, 25, was behind the wheel of the vehicle alongside her ex-husband when police stopped her on the Pacific Highway near Nerong on April 20, 2022.

After initial drug and alcohol tests, officers uncovered a stash of 10kg of methylamphetamine which had been secretly hidden inside furniture bound for Brisbane.

The following day police searched the partner’s apartment in Liverpool and seized a pistol and more drugs.

The court heard So told officers during an interview that two men she had briefly known and met at Sydney Casino, friends of her partner, had asked her for a favour to transport the drugs.

But So gave evidence at Newcastle District Court on Tuesday that her partner had pressured her into driving him because he had no license at the time and she was too scared to say no.

So was driving the van of drugs secretly hidden in furniture in the back when she was stopped by police. She told the court she was coerced by her abusive partner. Picture: iStock.

She told the court she knew he was up to no good and it likely had something to do with drugs but feared if she didn’t say yes to his request he was going to assault her and other family members.

The court heard her partner had threatened So and family members on multiple occasions, was frequently abusive towards her and would take drugs and gamble their money away.

“It was very coercive,” she said.

She also told the court her partner – who had already been slapped with several apprehended violence orders (AVOs) – urged her to take the blame for the drugs when police stopped them.

After spending 90 days in custody following her arrest, the 25-year-old was released on bail with strict home detention conditions where she lived with her parents in Cabramatta, before that condition was relaxed in June last year.

“It makes me feel really disappointed in myself and I want to be the best mother for my children and breaks my heart to put my parents through so much suffering,” So told the courtroom on Tuesday.

So’s partner was jailed last year for at least three years for his role as a drug courier.

She pleaded guilty to knowingly take part in an indictable drug supply with two charges of possession of ammunition without authority and not keep firearm safely dropped against her.

The Crown Prosecutor also decided to not proceed on charges of possess a trafficable drug and possession of an unauthorised pistol.

So’s defence barrister said there was an “application of duress” against his client at the time of the offending and a backdrop of domestic abuse and control.

He said So only agreed to driving the van full of drugs after she was physically assaulted by her ex-partner because she felt she had no choice.

“That’s a powerful consideration,” he said.

“There are alternatives to a custodial sentence in unusual circumstances of this case.”

Judge Roy Ellis sentenced So to a 15 month intensive correction order (ICO) which means she’ll be able to serve her sentence within the community.

Mr Ellis said he accepted evidence she had agreed to drive the vehicle after threats and there was no evidence she was to receive any financial advantage or was involved in any planning.

“At the end of the day she made a decision to commit a serious criminal offence rather than to face the consequences of her partner,” he said.

“Her decision making was impaired by her emotional well being and while duress and coercion against her does not exculpate her, it is relevant to her level of moral culpability.”