Crystal Jay-Lee Post pleads guilty to 13 charges committed over two months in Mackay

A fast-food supervisor turned prison farm chef got behind the wheel of a Commodore twice despite being banned from driving. It was far from her only slip up.

Crystal Jay-Lee Post has pleaded guilty to 13 charges including possessing marijuana and meth and twice disqualified driving.

A KFC supervisor was on parole when she committed a raft of offences over about two months including twice defying a court order not to drive.

Crystal Jay-Lee Post’s licence was disqualified for four years in August 2024, but by January 2025 she was busted back behind the wheel twice in nine days.

The 27-year-old mum of three’s offending spree began on November 29 last year when police stopped her for riding a bike without a helmet through Mackay’s safe night precinct.
She admitted to carrying a black flick knife in her backpack and that she also “had gear” – 0.37g of meth – for personal use, as well as a used glass pipe.

On January 1 she was captured on CCTV getting into the driver’s seat of a Holden Commodore at Mount Pleasant shopping centre and driving away.

Then on January 9 police saw the same Commodore on Kippen St in South Mackay with Post at the wheel.

She was stopped for a random breath test and licence check.

Both times her licence was disqualified, and the vehicle was unregistered. On the latter occasion she was also uninsured.

Post was again busted with drugs on Feb 4, 2025 after police tried to stop a white motorbike on which she was the pillion passenger.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard the duo turned and looked at the officer before attempting to speed away, but the rider lost control, and the bike slid out.

They both ran away but Post was picked up on Nebo Rd.

She was carrying 11g of marijuana and 0.67g of meth as well as a large knife with a dragon handle in a backpack.

She pleaded guilty to 13 charges including disqualified driving, possessing dangerous drugs and possessing knives in a public place.

“Knives in the community are a real problem,” Magistrate Anna Smith said.

Defence solicitor Aaron Sellentin said his client had been working as a supervisor at KFC for about two years when she was taken into custody on March 10, 2025 when her parole was suspended. She has spent 81 days in custody.

The court heard she had received parole for a robbery but had minimal entries for drugs on her criminal history with the most recent in 2016.

Mr Sellentin said Post had been performing well in custody, was living on the prison farm where she was head chef at the officers’ accommodation.

The court heard her three children were aged under 10

“There’s a real problem with drugs in the community,” Ms Smith said, adding the maximum penalty for the meth possession was 15 years jail.

“That just shows how serious it is.

“So, penalties have to deter the general public.”

The court heard she had relapsed back into drug use after her mum died in November.

Ms Smith accepted Post was remorseful and had used her time in custody well.

“You’ve certainly got the capacity to not use drugs,” Ms Smith said.
Post was jailed for three months wholly suspended for 12 months and disqualified from driving for four years.

Convictions were recorded.

“Three months is hanging over your head for 12 months, so it’s your opportunity to rehabilitate yourself in terms of drug misuse,” Ms Smith said.

Originally published as Crystal Jay-Lee Post pleads guilty to 13 charges committed over two months in Mackay