Name and shamed: 12 Qld mums convicted of crimes in the 12 months to April 2025
More than a handful of Queensland mothers have ended up in court over the past 12 months for matters ranging from weapons possession to fraud and drug trafficking. See the list.
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A number of Queensland mothers around the state have found themselves in legal troubles for crimes ranging from fraud to drug trafficking.
Here are some of those who faced courts in the past 12 months.
BRISBANE
DEANNE PAMELA BROCK and LENORE JENNIFER HERLIHY
Mothers Deanne Pamela Brock and Lenore Jennifer Herlihy tried to steal $83,500 from the superannuation of eight Queenslanders during the Covid-19 pandemic, with victims telling the court they suffered emotional trauma and serious inconvenience.
The duo pleaded guilty to charges of dealing in identification information that involves use of a carriage service, dealing in identification information and influencing a Commonwealth public official.
Brisbane District Court heard the pair used personal information including bank details found on a laptop stolen in 2017 and used them with prepaid phones and MyGov accounts to withdraw cash early under a program designed for those facing financial hardships.
Ultimately, they only got $2000.
The court heard the two principal offenders of the case pleaded guilty to dealing in identification information that involves use of a carriage service, dealing in identification information and influencing a Commonwealth public official.
They were both sentenced to two years’ jail, wholly suspended upon entering into a $1000 good behaviour bond for two years and to serve one year’s probation.
DANIELLE LOUISE O’BRIEN
Mother-of-three Danielle Louise O’Brien was busted with a shotgun and ammunition in her car earlier this month.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, one count of authority needed to possess explosives and drug-related offences in Beenleigh Magistrates Court.
Police also located 5g of methamphetamine stored up the Crestmead woman’s rectum, but the court was told the drug was not for commercial purpose as she started using the illicit substance after her son Riley O’Brien-Faulkner died of a suspected drug overdose in a courthouse in 2023.
She was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in jail, wholly suspended for two years.
COURTNEY JADE MUELLER
Mother-of-two Courtney Jade Mueller was in June 2024 found guilty of running a meth laboratory and storing multiple stolen vehicles at her home.
She faced more than 50 charges in Ipswich Magistrates Court, including 23 counts of unlawful possession of motor vehicles with the intention to deprive and four counts of buying or possessing S4 or S8 medicines or hazardous poisons.
The court heard police raided her home for an unrelated matter and discovered an active drug production laboratory alongside four stolen cars.
She also drove recklessly in a stolen Toyota Aurion that involved driving on the wrong side of road, running a red light and narrowly avoiding hitting oncoming traffic.
Mueller was sentenced to two years’ probation and was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for six months after being considered as having good prospects for rehabilitation.
KELLIE ANN-MARIE WHITESIDE
Mother-of-three Kellie Ann-Marie Whiteside in March admitted to sexually abusing a little girl from the age of 12.
The former teacher pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court to repeated sexual conduct with a child from 2015 to 2018, before taking up the teaching position.
The child was particularly vulnerable at the time due to personal issues, in which she did not understand when Whiteside told her to watch porn to learn sex.
The court heard Whiteside was a mature woman at the time of the offending, having a 22-year age gap with her victim.
Barrister James McNab said his client was genuinely remorseful, had no criminal history, co-operated with police, pleaded guilty early and would not work as a teacher again.
She was sentenced to five years’ jail, with parole eligible from March 17, 2027.
BUNDABERG
ASHLEIGH MARGARET HAMERTON
Ashleigh Margaret Hamerton in May 2024 pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs to 45 customers, bringing in $46,500.
She pleaded guilty to one count each of drug trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs exceeding two grams in Bundaberg Supreme Court on May 1.
The court heard police raided her Burnett Heads home, finding more than 7g pure methamphetamines along with scales, clip seal bags and a mobile phone belonging to her.
Police concluded that she trafficked drugs at a street level in 160 transactions over eight months upon gaining access to the phone and her bank records.
She was sentenced to six years’ jail with an eligibility for parole in nine months.
GOLD COAST
JESSICA ALEXIS PAKATYILLA
Jessica Alexis Pakatyilla helped a third party defraud the tax office of almost $50,000 as part of a large-scale GST fraud that circulated on social media in 2022.
The Surfers Paradise woman in March pleaded guilty in Southport District Court to dishonestly obtaining a gain.
She applied for an ABN and allowed an unnamed third party to access the account to lodge six fraudulent business activity statements with the Australian Taxation Office.
She was credited with $49,700 in GST refunds, which she split in half with the party.
The court heard she would have received an additional $24,600 in fraudulent GST refunds, but the ATO froze her account after smelling a rat.
She was sentenced to two years’ jail but was released immediately upon entering into a two-year $500 good-behaviour bond.
She was ordered to repay the $49,700.
ROCKHAMPTON
IMELDA MARIE DOIG
Mother-of-two Imelda Marie Doig punched and kicked a defenceless dog during an angry rage.
The young mum in October 2024 faced a string of charges in Yeppoon Magistrates Court that included animal cruelty, assault, wilful damage, public nuisance, obstructing and assaulting police.
The court heard the attack started with her yelling “This f – king dog. It’s the dog’s fault”, before throwing a few punches and kicking the animal multiple times as it attempted to escape.
She also applied pressure to an officer’s jaw and tried to run off.
The court was told the dog belonged to Doig’s mother and was safe and healthy.
Doig was sentenced to three months’ jail, suspended for 10 months and ordered to be on an 18-month probation.
A conviction was recorded for the animal cruelty offence.
SHERIDAN PAIGE MILLAR
Mother of a toddler left on a childcare bus for six hours Sheridan Paige Millar was in March busted for drug trafficking in an operation targeted at her de facto partner.
She faced a string of charges which included 79 counts of supplying dangerous drugs and one count of drug trafficking.
Millar was the mother of the three-year-old girl who had been left on a bus outside a daycare centre before her limp body was discovered still strapped inside in May 2022. No charges were laid over the incident.
The court heard Millar organised five supplies of methamphetamine through her partner and arranged herself to carry out two supplies during a period of four weeks.
The court was told that she was the sole carer of four children after separation from their father.
Millar also claimed she no longer used drugs but was unable to afford a drug test for proof.
She was sentenced to one-and-a-half years jail, with a parole release on June 19.
SUNSHINE COAST
KIMBERLEY ALICE SMITH
Mother-of-four Kimberley Alice Smith, who specialised in sourcing and mining gems, in August 2024 pleaded guilty to defrauding multiple businesses of about $86,000.
She pleaded guilty on August 29 at Kingaroy District Court to six counts of fraud, in which one charge involved a value between $30,000 and $100,000, three counts of fraudulently producing or using a false record and other property offences.
The Murgon mother, who is listed as a director of a gem company, started a series of fraudulent activities after she showed a fake bank transfer proof to a Hervey Bay rental company which earned herself around $2800 worth of services.
She used similar methods to earn benefits from multiple businesses across Murgon, Kingaroy, Gympie, Tiaro, Brisbane and New South Wales.
She was sentenced to a term of imprisonment, with a parole release date set on December 28, 2024.
TOOWOOMBA
KIM MAREE SUTTON
Kim Maree Sutton was jailed in April 2024 after spending more than a year on the run over meth trafficking allegations.
The mother of a pair of teenagers faced Toowoomba Supreme Court two years after failing to show up for court proceedings when she was supposed to be sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine in the border town of Goondiwindi.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying meth and one charge of carrying on the business of unlawfully trafficking a dangerous drug.
The court heard Sutton bragged about her drug business touting a quick turnaround on deals, making her a profit large enough to give up on Centrelink payment.
The court was told she was no longer using meth and had since organised employment.
She was sentenced to three years’ jail and is eligible for parole on April 24.
TOWNSVILLE
JORGIA MORGAN ROOK
Young mother Jorgia Morgan Rook was busted with suspected drugs in her car with clip-seal bags and a knife.
The former Hinchinbrook Shire socialite was charged with supplying and possessing methamphetamines, possessing cannabis, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of items used in commission of supplying a dangerous drug.
She pleaded guilty in June 2024 at Townsville District Court with her baby boy in her arms.
The court heard her vehicle was intercepted and searched after a random breath test.
The test result was negative, but police discovered bags of 2g cannabis and 0.1g methamphetamines in her handbag, a knife and two mobile phones, digital scales, clip-seal bags, straws, glass pipes and two mobile phones in her car.
Police said she had supplied drugs on five occasions over Facebook Messenger.
The court heard Rook had a long history of drug use, but she took a number of drug and childcare courses to make amends.
She was sentenced to six months’ jail, and was paroled immediately.
Originally published as Name and shamed: 12 Qld mums convicted of crimes in the 12 months to April 2025
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