Drug crimes of guilty Ipswich, southeast Qld parents revealed - photos
The drug use of Ipswich mums and dads has been laid bare, including one who was drifting on the road with two children in the backseat and another who stored magnetic drug containers under his car. Now, they can be named.
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As drug use spreads, it brings with it pain, misery and violence which can tear families and communities apart.
The scourge of drugs has ruined lives across regional Queensland, and Ipswich is unfortunately no exception.
Some habits are all-consuming to a point when even becoming a parent cannot snap the cycle.
The shocking actions of some Ipswich mums and dads while under the influence of drugs have been laid bare in court, including one father who was drifting around the road with his two kids in the back seat and another who stored magnetic drug containers under his car’s bodywork in an effort to keep it out of sight from police.
Here is a list of disturbing cases to come before Ipswich courts.
LEISA ANNE HIBBARD
An Ipswich magistrate was shocked to hear Lowood mum Leisa Hibbard was caught driving with $2000 worth of the drug ice in her car.
Hibbard’s stash was found at a random traffic stop in her hometown in November 2019 and she pleaded guilty to being in possession of drugs and driving with a drug in her system.
In February last year, the court heard there was no suggestion Hibbard, who was on a carer’s pension, was selling drugs.
Police said a random traffic stop at Lowood uncovered the stash.
Hibbard was sentenced to a two-year probation order that would include urine tests for drugs and drug counselling programs. For the drug driving offence Hibbard was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.
RANI LENORE ANDREWS
Rani Lenore Andrews blamed the lasting effects of an epidural she received during childbirth six years ago for using ice.
The Collingwood Park mother pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court to six drug offences this month.
Police prosecutor Ricky Tsoi said the two serious drug offences involved 7.54 grams of a substance that when analysed proved to be 5.12 grams of pure methamphetamine.
The second involved 5.54 grams of substance that was 2.96 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Defence lawyer Dante Sushames said Andrews instructed that she was given an epidural during birthing procedures in 2015 and that this caused her spinal damage.
Andrews was sentenced to an 18-month supervised probation order that is intended to assist her.
CRAIG ALLAN MASSEY
An Ipswich dad who was pursued by police while going 209 km/h on the Logan Motorway was already disqualified from driving after an earlier police chase with two kids in the car.
The floor sander from Ellen Grove pleaded guilty to 18 charges in November last year, including evading police and driving when drug positive.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Molinaro told the Ipswich Magistrates Court Massey had seven pages of traffic history and had suspended jail terms hanging over his head at the time.
This included a 15 month jail term for the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle committed in February 2019 when stingers were used to stop him while two children and a woman were also in the vehicle.
Defence lawyer John Shanahan from Hub Community Legal said the erratic offending was due to his “unbroken use of methylamphetamine”.
Massey received an overall 16-month jail sentence which was a combination of jail terms. It included the activation of his previously suspended jail sentence.
Massey received numerous licence disqualifications including some for two years and another for nine months.
REBECCA ADEL NEVILLE
Redbank mum Rebecca Neville was told by a magistrate she would be going straight to jail if she ever stepped in front of him again and only spared her time behind bars because of her children.
The mother of two was caught with ice hidden under her pillow when police raided her caravan in the yard of her mother’s Logan home.
Ipswich Magistrates Court heard in March she had previous history for drug offending.
She pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of methylamphetamine and cannabis and possession of drug utensils including used smoking pipes.
Prosecutor Sergeant Paul Caldwell said police searched her caravan at Munruben at 8.15am on July 11.
The court heard Neville was staying in the caravan with two children.
Neville was convicted and fined $950 for the drug offences.
BRANDON JAMES BAGENAL
The defence lawyer for father of five Brandon Bagenal stressed a sports bag which was used to store drugs was out of reach of his children.
When police came knocking at his Booval home with a search warrant in February last year, they found various quantities of marijuana stashed in the Socceroos bag.
The Booval resident pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court to possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug utensils in October last year.
Defence lawyer Richard Zande said Bagenal was careful that his children were not exposed to his drug use.
“None of the items were in reach of children. That is an important factor to him,” Mr Zande said.
Bagenal was convicted and fined $500.
MELISSA LEANNE FRANCIS
A Lockyer Valley mum was told by Queensland’s Chief Judge her ‘nonsense’ involving drugs kept resulting in her getting into trouble with the law.
Chief Judge Brian Devereaux SC warned Melissa Francis in June that her drug use would inevitably result in her going back to jail.
She pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended sentence at Ipswich District Court.
Office of Director of Public Prosecutions legal officer Chantel Phillips said Francis had been sentenced by an Ipswich judge in September 2018 for the drug trafficking committed in 2017.
When police raided her Gatton home in that crime they found many stolen items.
Francis told the officers that the items came from “rakers” who shop-steal in exchange for drugs.
Ms Phillips said Francis told police she was a single parent and had little money, with a criminal history of drug offending that began in 2006.
She had breached the suspended jail sentence by being convicted in October last year of driving when her saliva proved to be positive for methamphetamine and cannabis on August 24, 2020.
ALLAN MORROW
A young unemployed dad with three children was unable to explain his drug issues, only that his offences of drug supplies were done to fund his own habit.
However, a magistrate warned Brassall’s Allan Morrow that selling drugs was not a solution to being unemployed.
In April last year he pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying dangerous drugs; possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of a drug misuse offence; possession of dangerous drugs; possession of drug utensils; possession of anything used in a drug crime; and driving when drug positive in Ipswich Magistrates Court.
He was found in possession of 52.9 grams of marijuana, $630 cash, digital scales, notebook and water pipe at his home. When police examined his mobile phone, text messages identified cannabis being supplied.
Morrow was sentenced to a two-year supervised probation order.
He was ordered to do interventions to address drug issues and was disqualified from driving for six months.
TALITHA RENEE WRAIGHT
A court heard a single Ipswich mum stole from a nursing home in a bid to score enough money to buy drugs.
Talitha Wraight and a male co-offender walked into a Blue Care facility just before midnight and took two mobile phones and keys to a car, which they used to drive away from the scene.
Talitha Renee Wraight was 22 when she appeared at Ipswich Magistrates Court for sentence in September last year.
She pleaded guilty to 19 charges including entering premises to steal; 10 counts of stealing; three counts of unlawful use of stolen motor vehicles; receiving tainted property; fraud; and two counts of failing to properly dispose of needle/syringe.
Defence lawyer Katrina Hynes said a former boyfriend introduced Wraight to the drug ice and she continued to use until she fell pregnant with her first child.
Ms Hynes said another friend of Wraigh’s was a chronic heroin and meth user, but she stopped using drugs again when pregnant with her second child.
Ms Hall sentenced her to a two-and-a-half year supervised probation order that would include urine tests and programs for illicit drug use.
She was disqualified from driving for nine months.
STEPHEN JOHN MILLER
An Ipswich dad behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla which was drifting all over the road, resulting in several concerned witnesses to call triple-0, was out of it due to using ice.
Stephen Miller had two small children in the car for some of the journey until worried staff at a child care centre got him to leave both children in their care; a move praised by a magistrate when he appeared for sentence in April.
Ipswich Magistrates Court heard Miller was found by police slumped at the wheel of his car, with the engine still idling.
The 44-year-old pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle when adversely affected by an intoxicating substance at Nambour Connection Road on February 21, 2020; driving when drug positive at 7.50am in Bridgeman Downs on July 18, 2020; driving while under a 24-hour suspension at Bundamba on July 18; and possession of dangerous drugs on September 17.
He was seen to be sweating profusely, “his eyes rolling into the back of his head”.
A medical report found he was likely withdrawing from ice and this was what contributed to his fatigue.
In a separate incident five months later, Miller’s licence was suspended after he was caught driving with ice and amphetamine in his system.
The court heard he had spiralled into depression and was “compensating with illicit substances”.
On the charge of dangerous driving Miller was sentenced to a 15-month jail order and disqualified from driving for two years.
He was released immediately on parole.
JACKSON BEBOB KIMIORA HIRAWANI
A cannabis plant police found hanging upside down on a family’s garage roller door was blamed on a father of six from Redbank
It led to Jackson Hirawani being charged with two drug offences and having to go before Ipswich Magistrates Court in July last year.
He pleaded guilty to unlawfully producing dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drugs.
Prosecutor Sergeant Brad Dick said police went to the house for an unrelated matter, but officers smelled the distinctive odour of cannabis.
At the time Hirawani was sitting outside on the patio and a further search uncovered the plant hanging upside down on the garage roller door.
He was placed on a six month $600 good behaviour bond with Hirawani told to do a drug diversion course.
BRADLEY STUHLFAUTH
A Riverview dad lost his licence for two years after fleeing from police at 146 km/h with his three kids in the vehicle in a 60 km/h zone.
Bradley Stuhlfauth was already a disqualified driver and was snapped on a speed camera in nearby Goodna.
He was later found to have had drugs in his system.
In court in June 2019, Stuhlfauth, then 23, pleaded guilty and showed remorse for his actions, even promising his mum that his behaviour would improve.
Stuhlfauth pleaded guilty to entering premises (a car) to steal; assault causing bodily harm; dangerous operation of motor vehicle; driving when disqualified by court order; driving with drugs in his system; and possession of drugs and drug utensils.
Stuhlfauth was sentenced to 15 months jail for the dangerous operation and lesser jail terms on other charges, all with immediate parole.
He was disqualified from driving for two years and nine months.
ETHAN ELLISON
A Bundamba dad with a long criminal history was caught by police with ice stashed in his shoe but an Ipswich court heard he was taking steps to better himself for the sake of his family.
Ethan Ellison was said to have taken part in the Court Link program designed to help defendants tackle the issues that often underlie their offending.
After completing the program with positive results, he pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court in May to eight charges including possession of the drug ice; driving when drug positive; three charges of stealing; possession of a knife; possession of property suspected of being used in a drug offence; and failing to appear at court.
Prosecutor Sergeant Molinaro said Ellison was found with 4.38 grams of ice that was made up of 3.349 grams of pure methylamphetamine, with the purity analysed at between 75-77.5 per cent.
Ellison was sentenced to a 12-month jail term, fully suspended for 18 months.
PATRICK JOHN SCHAFFERIUS
Springfield Lakes father of two John Schafferius stored magnetic containers of the drug ice under his car’s bodywork in an effort to keep it out of sight from police.
But in a raid on his home, detectives were not fooled and found the hidden stash underneath his Subaru.
Appearing before Ipswich Magistrates Court in April, pleaded guilty to possession of dangerous drugs; possession of drug utensils, and possession of anything acquired for use in a drug offence.
Prosecutor Sergeant Molinaro said a warrant was executed and during the search three magnetic containers were found attached to a Subaru Impreza in the garage of his home.
Sergeant Molinaro said two magnetic devices were found secreted on the underside of the car and the third device was hidden in the front wheel well.
Two of the devices held methylamphetamine inside clip seal bags.
He was convicted and sentenced to 18-months jail, with immediate release to supervised parole.
Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.
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