Debby Suk Ching Lau pleads guilty to aggravated drug possession

A former escort and the mother of an Origin great’s youngest child has learned her penalty for her role in their ice endeavour. Find out what happened.

A former sex worker and the mother of an Origin great’s youngest child has escaped any time in jail for her role in their ice endeavour.

When police searched a Slade Point house in May 2020, officers found 29.175 grams of methylamphetamines stashed inside a hidden compartment in the oven.

The home belonged to Debby Suk Ching Lau and was also where her then-partner Brett Dallas also lived at times.

Former escort Debby Suk Ching Lau and former NRL star Brett Dallas were charged with aggravated drug possession in May 2020.

Mackay Supreme Court heard tests revealed the substance had a 75.9 per cent purity totalling 22.143 grams pure ice.

Both were charged with aggravated drug possession on the basis – and pleaded guilty to – that the quantity, worth between $3000 and $8000, was for a commercial purpose.

Dallas’ case was finalised in April 2021; he was jailed for 2.5 years with immediate parole release after spending 10.5 months in custody on remand.

Lau learned her penalty on Tuesday – during which each parent had blamed their drug use on the other.

In April, the court heard Dallas had become involved with a woman who was allegedly a “heavy” drug user, and began using himself.

Lau’s barrister, though, said she fell back into ice through her involvement with Dallas.

Her guilty plea was against a background that the drugs “predominantly” belonged to Dallas and she had allowed them to be at her home, which the Crown accepted.

In April 2021, Brett Dallas was jailed for 2.5 years with immediate parole release after already serving 10.5 months, while in September Debby Suk Ching Lau was jailed for 20 months with immediate parole.

As such the Crown did not push for a custodial sentence and advocated for the 39 year old’s immediate release.

In February 2018 Lau was sentenced in Mackay Supreme Court for aggravated drug possession and was jailed for 15 months, released on parole after three.

The court heard Lau performed well on parole.

Barrister Scott McLennan said until this point she had been working as an escort but after her incarceration she did not return to sex work.

The court heard that was also a turning point for her drug use following the three months forced abstinence.

Sometime after her release she began a relationship with and fell pregnant to Dallas.

At the time of her offending Mr McLennan said she had been living with Dallas, who suffered a serious mental illness, and the family unit was in financial stress.

Mr McLennan said his client succumbed to temptation and returned to ice use.

The court heard she was not drug free – two drug tests with negative results, including one dated the day before she was sentenced, were tendered in court.

Mr McLennan said Lau, who was a full-time mum and attempted to start an online business, was involved in a supportive Baptist church community.

The court heard Lau was the primary carer for her son and Dallas was not in a position to provide any care for their child.

Justice David North accepted Lau “seems to have been tolerating Mr Dallas … storing the drugs on her premises” and that she had taken “significant” and “commendable” steps towards her own rehabilitation.

He also accepted she had demonstrated genuine contrition and remorse.

Lau was jailed for 20 months with immediate parole release. A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Debby Suk Ching Lau pleads guilty to aggravated drug possession