Darwin Correctional Centre meth dealer to serve time behind bars herself

A WOMAN convicted of supplying meth to prisoners inside the Darwin Correctional Centre will spend at least six months in jail herself

Kelly Ann Skinner will serve at least six months in prison for supplying meth into the Darwin Correctional Centre. Picture: iStock

A WOMAN convicted of supplying meth to prisoners inside the Darwin Correctional Centre will spend at least six months in jail herself.

Kelly Ann Skinner, 42, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court last week to be sentenced for a raft of drug-related offences that took place between January and May this year.

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Skinner earlier pleaded guilty to charges including supplying less than a commercial quantity of meth, supplying less than a commercial quantity of cannabis and driving while under the influence of drugs.

The court heard two of those charges related to the supply of 0.17g of meth into the Darwin Prison.

“While the quantities involved in those matters are quite low, your offending is aggravated by the fact that the drugs supplied were, to your knowledge, to be supplied into a custodial institution, namely the Darwin Prison,” Justice Peter Barr said during sentencing.

“The idea of someone from outside the prison supplying drugs to be consumed within the prison is very problematic. The sentences that I impose for these matters ought to reflect the seriousness: the societal and custodial consequences of a supply within the prison.”

Justice Barr told the court Skinner also engaged in “low level dealing” of meth between January and March this year.

“Your mobile phone records show that you had supplied a total of six grams of methamphetamine in small deals. Either deals of a point, that is, 0.1g, or 0.25 of a gram or even .5 of a gram,” he said.

“I regard those matters as very serious. Even low-level distribution of methamphetamine in the Darwin community is a serious problem.”

Skinner’s lawyer Peter Bellach told the court during a previous hearing that his client had a long-term problem with drug addiction, and was committed to rehabilitating.

Justice Barr said he chose to impose a 12-month sentence, suspended after six months, so Skinner had the chance to “turn her life around”.

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“I believe that it is appropriate in your case to partially suspend your sentence without conditions, while giving you an incentive to stay out of trouble by the fact that the unserved part of your sentence would be waiting there for you if you re-offended.”

Skinner was also ordered to pay about $2000 in fines.