Roelina Boenesch pleads guilty to smuggling meth to son at South Coast Correctional Facility

A mum has been slammed by a local magistrate, who told the woman she should have ‘known better’ after being asked to deliver a mystery package.

Young mother-of-four Roelina Boenesch leaving Nowra Local Court on November 22. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

A mother-of-four who smuggled a mystery package to her son in prison was unaware there was meth and morphine inside, a local court has learned.

Roelina Juliana Boenesch, 54, pleaded guilty at Nowra Local Court on Monday to two charges of smuggling drugs into the South Coast Correctional Centre after visiting her eldest son on October 16.

About 10.50am, Boenesch entered the South Nowra prison but was immediately stopped by a drug sniffer dog.

“Boenesch was escorted by correctional officers to an interview room,” agreed police documents reveal.

“Once there, she removed two separate substances from her waistband and handed them to officers.”

Inside South Coast Correctional Centre 2021. Pictures: Madeline Crittenden.

A clear, crystal-like substance later determined to be meth was weighed at 2.2g by officers.

Another orange wafer-like substance weighing 2.4g was also confiscated, later determined as morphine.

Placed under arrest, Boenesch admitted to officers to having smuggled in the package.

She told police while she believed it to be illicit drugs, she did not know for certain what was inside.

Appearing at Nowra Local Court on Monday, lawyer Stephanie Fowler said Boenesch had travelled to the south coast from her home in Young to visit her eldest son following his detention in February.

Boenesch’s son, who was not named in court documents, had not been previously detained, Ms Fowler said and was suffering from mental health issues while being moved through different correctional facilities.

“He had asked her to bring a package to him,” Ms Fowler said.

“She didn’t know what was in it but accepts responsibility. She has expressed deep remorse.”

Ms Fowler said Boenesch, who works as a cleaner at a local university, had only visited her son in prison once before because of her financial situation and was starting to succumb to her mental health challenges.

In sentencing, Magistrate Lisa Viney accepted Boenesch’s remorse but said the matters were still serious.

“I don’t have to tell you it was wrong to take a package not knowing what was inside,” she said.

Boenesch was convicted and sentenced to a fine of $750.