Carmen Leigh Shadbolt pleads guilty to meth possession after bra bust

A mum previously charged for setting fire to a family home hid her friend’s meth in her bra as they were pulled over by police in what her lawyer described as a “very badly informed ... silly decision”.

A mum previously charged for setting fire to a family home was handed her friend’s meth as they were pulled over by police in what her lawyer described as a “very badly informed ... silly decision”.

A Mackay mum with a chequered past fell back into old ways and made the mistake of trying to hide her friend’s drugs when they were pulled over.

Carmen Leigh Shadbolt was a passenger in a car pulled over on April 7, 2023 when police found two clipseal bags of meth in her bra - with 1.63g and 3.46g of substance of about 74% purity.

Her barrister Scott Moon said the drugs had not been hers, but she had made the “silly decision” to accept them when another occupant of the car handed them to her.

Mackay Supreme Court heard Shadbolt had made positive changes in her life since a previous sentence for setting fire to home she was renting from family while high on ice.

“The defendant doesn’t shy away from her behaviour and more importantly, what could be described as her very poor decision making,”

“She made a very badly informed decision to take possession of meth when handed to her

“She’s a valued employee at a licenced restaurant (and) if she was to be incarcerated ... the likelihood is her position may be lost.

“She significantly regrets the position in which she’s placed her family.”

The court heard Shadbolt’s mother could not look after her three children, leaving the eldest to care for the others should she be jailed.

Mr Moon said she was “moving forward” with her rehabilitation and a sentence of actual imprisonment would “be a setback” not in the community’s interest.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said Shadbolt had convictions for drug trafficking as well as arson.

Ms Lawrence said considering her children’s “hardships” if she was jailed was “something the defendant should have thought about before she committed the offence”.

The court heard Shadbolt had spent 94 days in pre-sentence custody after her offending, with Ms Lawrence arguing that time should not be declared as time served on her sentence.

Justice David North said Shadbolt would be given immediate parole to reflect her rehabilitation progress, but agreed no pre-sentence custody would be deemed time served.

Shadbolt cried as she was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended with immediate parole.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Carmen Leigh Shadbolt pleads guilty to meth possession after bra bust