Julie Maree Holmes sentenced for Gladstone drug crime

A Central Queensland woman whose husband is in immigration detention waiting to see if he will be deported, has been sentenced for her role in his serious drug crimes.

A Gladstone woman has been sentenced for her role in her husband’s serious drug crimes. Generic image.

A Gladstone woman who played a role in her husband’s serious drug crimes faces a nervous wait to see if he will be deported.

Julie Maree Holmes, 50, was sentenced in the District Court at Gladstone on July 19 after pleading guilty to permitting her residence to be used for a drug crime (production over 500g).

The court heard that Holmes’ co-offender was her husband and they lived together at Margaret Street, South Gladstone, when police raided the property on October 20, 2021.

No-one was home when police executed the search warrant, however Holmes returned to the residence, saw the officers there and she drove off.

Police intercepted Holmes and she was detained.

During the search, police found 345 cannabis plants inside a shed at the rear of the property.

They also seized 1.138kg of dried cannabis and cannabis seeds, hydroponic equipment, a grinder, pipe, a taser disguised as a torch, and cannabis oil in syringes.

“Due to the quantity of the cannabis located, the Crown proceeds on the basis that you permitted the home to be used for the production of cannabis,” Judge Amanda McDonnell said.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court heard that Holmes’ co-offending husband, who ran a carpentry business, was sentenced in November last year for numerous drugs charges including production (over 500g).

He was given 18 months’ jail, suspended after serving four months, for an operational period of three years.

The court heard that Holmes’ husband was now in immigration detention - despite having resided in Australia for 51 years, he was a UK citizen.

“As a result of the offending, upon his release from prison, he was taken into custody and remains in immigration,” Judge McDonnell said.

“Whilst parody is a consideration in sentencing today, I accept that the nature of your offending is quite different to the nature of the offending of the co-accused,” Judge McDonnell told Holmes.

“(Your) Counsel properly conceded that your husband, having been sentenced on the basis of commerciality, and he being the main income earner, meaning that you would have indirectly benefited as a result of the offending.”

The court heard that Holmes had no criminal history.

It was told that she had been employed in various roles and for the past 10 years she had worked as a bookkeeper for her husband’s carpentry business.

Judge McDonnell placed Holmes on a 12-month good behaviour order with a $200 recognisance.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Julie Maree Holmes sentenced for Gladstone drug crime