Court: Stephanie Johnston pleads guilty to driving on ice three times
A Shepparton support worker who drove while under the influence of ice three times told a court “most of the people I know are on drugs”.
Goulburn Valley
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A Shepparton independent support worker, who has been busted three times driving while on ice told a court “most of the people I know are on drugs”.
Stephanie Johnston, 28, pleaded guilty in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to a string of driving offences, including drug driving and driving an unregistered vehicle.
The court heard Johnston was busted driving while on ice on three separate occasions in 2023 including in Shepparton, Mooroopna and Numurkah.
On March 27, 2023, Johnston was pulled over by police driving a Blue Mazda 3 in Numurkah.
She had friends in the car which breached the conditions of her probationary licence.
Johnston was also driving unregistered, manual car when she permitted to drive only an automatic vehicle.
Police detected meth in her system after conducting an oral fluid test.
Johnston, who cares for a 92-year-old as an independent support worker, is currently in recovery from drug addiction.
When asked by Magistrate Olivia Trumble how she tackled her addiction Johnston said: “I kept to myself and stayed away from hanging around with the people I was”.
“Most of the people I know are on drugs.”
Johnston told the court she had been drug free since December 2023 after deciding to get her life on track.
She had obtained her certificate to work in care and was now earning up to $2000 a week.
“I’m enjoying the money,” she said.
The court heard Johnston’s criminal history dated back to 2017.
Ms Trumble said had Johnston been unemployed and not tackling her drug problem she would have faced a community corrections order.
She convicted and fined Johnston $800 and warned that she risked a custodial sentence should she come back before the court again.
Johnston’s licence was also suspended for 12 months.
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