Candice Lee: Strathdale mum busted trafficking drugs and cash in Bendigo

A Bendigo mum has been given some sage advice after she was found hiding drugs and cash in a secret compartment in her car.

Adult entertainment store Club X on Queen St, Bendigo. Picture: Google Earth

A Strathdale mum, caught up in the middle of a Bendigo drug trafficking scheme, has been urged to stay out of trouble for the sake of her children.

The Bendigo Magistrates’ Court heard Candice Lee was caught smuggling $3500 and vials of GHB in a secret compartment of her purple Holden sedan.

The 34-year-old was busted by police during a routine intercept in Flora Hill at 1.35am on October 20.

Lee was a passenger in the car when officers noticed a bong in the back of the driver’s seat.

A search of the car uncovered a hidden compartment containing $3500 and vials of the party drug.

The court heard Lee claimed the significant quantity of the psychoactive drug was for personal use.

But a police search of her phone uncovered strings of text messages which confirmed Lee was involved in trafficking the drugs.

The court heard this was not the first time Lee was found with illegal goods hidden in her car.

In September 2020 police became suspicious of the purple Holden, which was parked in front of the adult toy shop Club X in Bendigo’s CBD.

Officers noticed Lee and other passengers in the car acting nervously and when they searched Lee’s white handbag they found an aerosol can of pepper spray.

The court heard she told officers a friend had given her the controlled weapon for self protection.

The mother was charged with possession of stolen goods after officers followed the GPS signal of a stolen iPad to a Strathdale property.

When the owner used the Find My iPhone app to signal an alarm, Lee attempted to hide the blaring iPad under a pile of paper.

Lee admitted she had bought the stolen iPad for $200 from a man she knew by the nickname ‘Spider’.

Lee pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking, weapons and handling stolen goods charges.

Magistrate Patrick Southey sentenced her to 14 days in jail, with time already served, and issued a $800 fine for the weapons and handling stolen goods charges.

Mr Southey told Lee for the sake of her children she needed to stay out of trouble.

“Stay away from the people who lead you astray,” he said.