Peta Caitlin Pearson sentenced for possessing MDMA, meth, cocaine, marijuana

The former partner of an accused drug trafficker has faced court, after she was driving a car where stashes of cash and drugs were found.

Peta Caitlin Pearson pleaded guilty on March 24 in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton to 14 charges including two counts of possessing more than two grams of a schedule 1 drug and six counts of possessing dangerous drugs.The other charges were in relation to drug paraphernalia along with possessing a category R weapon and possessing explosives.

The former partner of an accused drug trafficker has faced court for her knowledge of drugs stashed in the car she was driving.

Peta Caitlin Pearson, pregnant with her first child, pleaded guilty on March 24 in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton to 14 charges including two counts of possessing more than two grams of a schedule 1 drug and six counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

The other charges were in relation to drug paraphernalia along with possessing a category R weapon and explosives.

The court heard Pearson was in a relationship with accused drug trafficker Haydn Geoffrey Kleidon when they were stopped by police on the Bruce Highway at Bajool on October 18, 2021.

Justice Graeme Crow said police located 19 clip seal bags of MDMA, one of cocaine, one of methamphetamines and a bag of marijuana, along with $18,000 cash and drug paraphernalia including a tick sheet in the vehicle.

The pair was stopped by police again on November 9 with police finding clip seal bags of crystal meth, $4650 cash and drug paraphernalia.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said Pearson was not the owner of the drugs, she just knew of their presence.

“This person (Pearson) made the mistake of partnering up with a terrible person,” Justice Crow said.

Mr Kleidon has not had his matters finalised by the courts yet.

His charges include trafficking drugs between April and November 2021, two counts of possessing a schedule one drug in excess of two grams and six counts of possessing a dangerous drug.

Mr Kleidon’s charges are set to be mentioned next on April 18. He has not entered pleas.

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said Pearson had rehabilitated by moving in with her mother, re-entering the workforce and “confronting the new challenge of motherhood”.

She said her client was supported in court by her mother and new partner.

The court heard Pearson had worked for Boodles Meats for 10 years after leaving school at age 15, along with working at the Victoria Tavern, but became unemployed because of her association with Mr Kleidon.

Her relationship with her mother was also damaged by her relationship with Mr Kleidon, but she had repaired that since being charged, according to her defence barrister.

Pearson is back working at the Victoria Tavern and has been promoted to a supervisory role, the court heard.

She only had one prior conviction on her criminal record for possessing a small amount of drugs.

“The very serious charges, that is having 30 odd grams pure of a schedule one substance, would ordinarily require at least a year in prison,” Justice Crow said.

However, he said because Pearson was to be sentenced not for ownership, but for knowledge of the presence of drugs, she had “limited liability”.

He sentenced her to three years prison with immediate parole.

Originally published as Peta Caitlin Pearson sentenced for possessing MDMA, meth, cocaine, marijuana