Samantha Azzopardi, 36, denied bail for drug, gun, theft, dishonesty charges

A Geelong mum in court on drug, gun, theft and dishonesty charges has been denied bail to see her children - one seriously ill, one nine weeks old.

Samantha Azzopardi appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday, facing 13 charges including drug possession, theft and five counts of receiving stolen goods. Picture: Facebook.

A Geelong mother facing drug, gun, theft and dishonesty charges has been denied bail to see her children - one who has a rare genetic disorder, the other who is just nine weeks old.

Samantha Azzopardi, 36, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday on 13 charges, including possessing ice and cannabis, theft, possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, theft and committing an indictable offence on bail.

She also faces five charges of receiving stolen goods, one charge of assisting the removal of goods and one charge of negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The court was told when police searched her home, they found “drugs, a pen pistol, other people’s ID cards, tools (and a) passport”.

Ms Azzopardi made her own bail application from the dock, but was assisted by lawyer Matilda Jones acting as a friend of the court.

She told the court she was a mother of three, with one child being “only nine-weeks-old” and residing with Ms Azzopardi’s mother-in-law.

“I see him as much as I can, obviously still breastfeeding and everything,” Ms Azzopardi said.

Ms Azzopardi told the court her five-year-old daughter had just been diagnosed with a “rare genetic disorder”

“She’s actually going through her second session of chemotherapy as we speak,” Ms Azzopardi told the court.

“Me being in custody, it’s very hard to see my children. At the moment my daughter needs me more than anything, and so does my newborn.”

The court heard the children were not living with Ms Azzopardi.

Magistrate Ann McGarvie said Ms Azzopardi’s situation did not meet the criteria for “exceptional circumstances”.

“While they’re concerning, in themselves they’re not exceptional circumstances,” Ms McGarvie said.

“The children are being looked after, whether you are in custody today or not.”

Ms Azzopardi also told the court she was completing a funded certificate three course that and was at risk of losing her funding.

“I’ve never asked for bail like this before, I’ve always done the time for things I’ve done in the past,” Ms Azzopardi said.

However, Ms McGarvie said it was not enough to grant her release.

“Exceptional circumstances are circumstances that are unusual, out of the ordinary or special,” she said.

“Doing a cert three is not an exceptional circumstance. In relation to the children, they’re all in the care of someone (else).

“Whether you are in custody or out of custody, you are not looking after them.”

Ms Jones told the court Ms Azzopardi was withdrawing from a drug of dependence and was suffering from blood clots from a C-section.

Ms Azzopardi was remanded to appear in court on November 15.

Originally published as Samantha Azzopardi, 36, denied bail for drug, gun, theft, dishonesty charges