Mum who survived Russell Island house fire horror spirals into meth use

A mother who lost five children and her partner in a ferocious Russell Island house fire has faced court on drugs charges in tears, vowing to rebuild her life.

Samantha Stephenson. Picture: Facebook

A mother, who survived an horrific house fire on Russell Island that killed her five sons and their father, has pleaded guilty to a string of drug and bail offences, telling a Cleveland magistrate she’s committed to turning her life around, starting with the Bridge to Brisbane.

Samantha Stephenson, 30, appeared via video link in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Thursday after spending 29 days in custody.

Perished: Zack, Harry, Kyza, Koah, Nicky, and their father Wayne. Picture: Supplied

She admitted to meth possession, carrying a flick knife, failing to appear, and breaching bail over several months by failing to report to police and residing at an unauthorised address between March and June.

Stephenson was a survivor of the devastating August 2023 blaze that killed her partner Wayne Godinet, 34, and their five sons aged 11, 10, four-year-old twins and a three-year-old.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta acknowledged the immense trauma Stephenson had suffered since the devastating 2023 blaze.

“You’re numbing your pain and your grief through drugs,” Magistrate Vasta said.

“It helped you to unplug yourself from your emotions for a little while but drugs always wear off, and then your problems are worse.”

Stephenson sobbed as she told the court she was committed to turning her life around starting with focusing on competing in The Sunday Mail’s Bridge to Brisbane charity run with her sister in September.

The fire at Russell Island in 2023 killed a family of six.

The court heard she had been employed as a cleaner at the Russell Island takeaway store, and wanted to start her own cleaning business and get a driver’s licence.

“I’ve been booked in for the last six months (for the Bridge to Brisbane fun run), and that’s something positive I have to look forward to,” she told the court.

“It’s something me and my eldest wanted to do last year. I didn’t. So this year, I’ve been booked in.

“Taking drugs to numb my pain isn’t acceptable anymore, and I need to start realising the fact it’s almost been two years now, and I can’t keep these four walls of denial up.

“I want to do hardship care for kids of all ages and I want to open a refuge for kids.

“And being 31 almost in October, I don’t have like all the time in the world to start doing that.

“I need to pull my finger out … and stop feeling sorry for myself.

“I have no interest in going back to Russell Island.”

The Russell Island property.

There were tears in the courtroom when Stephenson told of how she wanted to help another family who had lost their daughter in a fire allegedly due to domestic violence and hoped to start a foundation in their name.

“I’m that daughter that could survive.”

Stephenson’s criminal history prior to the fire consisted of a 2021 charge for possession of drug utensils.

Magistrate Vasta said the court recognised Stephenson’s exceptional circumstances and the enormous toll the tragedy had taken on her mental health and that she had not been in trouble before the tragedy.

The island community paid tribute to the family after the fire, which sent shockwaves through the close-knit community.

She also acknowledged the impact of drugs and community pressure on the island and said people on the island had reported her behaviour to police asking them to lock her up.

“If we hadn’t kept you in custody, you’d still be using,” she said.

“Now you’re sober, you’re thinking clearly, and you have goals and that’s something to hold onto.”

She went on to reference a book about trauma and resilience by journalist Leigh Sales called Any Ordinary Day in which Sales interviews people who were living normal lives until “bam”, something bad happens.

Magistrate Vasta imposed an 18-month probation order, noting Stephenson had already spent 29 days in custody and did not record a conviction.

Originally published as Mum who survived Russell Island house fire horror spirals into meth use