Teen faces court for smuggling 394 MDMA caps into music festival

How a teen smuggled 394 MDMA caps inside her at a Sydney music festival has been revealed as she was sentenced in court today.

Tina Pham arrives at Burwood Local Court. Picture: Candace Sutton/news.com.au

An 18-year-old girl who allegedly internally concealed 394 MDMA capsules at a music festival at which a teenage male died last December has pleaded guilty to drug supply.

The accused teenage drug supplier has been revealed as Tina Thanh Truc Phan, an aspiring nursing student, who wept as a magistrate rejected her lawyer’s claims that she had smuggled the drugs into the Knockout Games of Destiny music festival to boost her family’s stretched finances.

Magistrate Louise McManus said Phan’s act of smuggling the 394 capsules internally was “a criminal offence and a deliberate act”.

“She is working part-time four days a week, there is money coming in,” Ms McManus said.

“I don’t accept she did it because of financial difficulties in the family.”

Dressed in black and wearing glasses, Phan was supported by three friends as she faced Burwood Local Court.

Tina Pham, centre, dressed in a black shirt and wearing glasses with her long dark hair out, enters Burwood Local Court followed by her lawyer Cheryl Khurana before pleading guilty to smuggling 394 MDMA capsules internally to a music festival. Picture: Candace Sutton/news.com.au

The court heard that Phan was studious, had finished her HSC and was waiting to go to UTS in Sydney to study a Bachelor of Nursing, and that she played Oz Tag and did cross country running.

“And she’s carrying 394 capsules of MDMA? What irony,” Ms McManus said.

Phan’s lawyer Cheryl Khurana told the court her client was “extremely remorseful and shamed”.

Phan, who was dressed in a black Lacoste shirt, works four days a week at a Subway shop.

Ms Khurana said Phan was aware a conviction could “well upset jobs prospects and her future”.

Tina Thanh Truc Phan aspires to become a nurse.

Phan was allegedly asked by a “mutual friend” to carry the drugs into the festival for money.

“Her parents divorced after 21 years, her elder sister married in September,” Ms Khurana said.

“She felt obligated to try and help out in terms of finances. Her mother works two jobs, as a butcher and a retail worker.”

After Ms McManus rejected that defence, Ms Khurana told the court that a “mutual friend” had asked Phan to carry the drugs into the festival in return for money.

After Phan confessed she was carrying drugs internally concealed, police found a clear resealable bag containing a smaller resealable bag which had the 394 capsules inside.

Phan had concealed the drugs inside “condoms and tissues” and resealable plastic bags.

Callum Brosnan died at the Knockout Games of Destiny festival. Picture: Facebook

Ms McManus placed Phan on a 12-month Community Corrections Order during which she will have to work 80 hours community service.

She said drug detector dogs at the festival had indicated Phan was carrying drugs and the teenager had them admitted to police she was carrying the capsules inside her.

“You are not an unintelligent young woman and you are wanting to get into a career where you are caring for people,” Ms McManus told Phan.

“This is not just immature or a silly mistake, it was a criminal act which put people at risk.”

On December 8 last year, police arrested five festival goers including Phan on drug charges at the Knockout Games of Destiny at Sydney Olympic Park.

Callum Brosnan, 19, was found collapsed at Sydney Olympic Park train station early on the Sunday morning after the festival.

He was taken to Concord Hospital where he died at 4.30am from a suspected drug overdose.

Police have not publicly revealed Mr Brosnan’s cause of death and it is not suggested he took drugs allegedly supplied by Phan.

Fifteen people were taken to hospital after the Knockout Games of Destiny, three were placed in an induced coma and 130 sought medical treatment at the event.