Drug user Zoie-Jane Collins's phone messages revealed six customers asked for meth

A convicted drug dealer living in a housing commission home and receiving the single parent pension was caught arranging drug drops while her daughters were in the car.

Zoie-Jane Collins, 27, pleaded guilty to seven counts of supplying drugs and one of possessing an item used in drug supplies in Rockhampton District Court on November 30. Collins was intercepted driving on Roseberry Street, Gladstone, on May 7, 2021, finding 5.4gms of methamphetamines in her possession,.

A convicted drug dealer living in a housing commission home and receiving the single parent pension was caught arranging drug drops while her daughters were in the car.

Zoie-Jane Collins, 27, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on November 30 to seven counts of supplying drugs and one of possessing an item used in drug supplies.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Barker said Collins was intercepted driving on Roseberry Street, Gladstone, on May 7, 2021, with police finding 0.54gms of methamphetamines in her possession, along with a mobile phone containing messages about the seven requests to supply meth, two of which she actually delivered on.

The court heard Collins told police officers “a false story” about why a male was in the car with her and her two daughters, now aged six and four, while she drove around Gladstone in a suspicious manner.

Ms Barker said SMSes revealed Collins had six customers with the largest request being for 0.47g of methamphetamines for the purchase price of $350.

She said Collins had a history of drug offences but because the supplies were "quite low level" and Collins had engaged in self-rehabilitation, the Crown was pushing for a head sentence of nine to 12 months jail with immediate parole.

Defence barrister Scott Moon said Collins had first engaged with Lives Lived Well three weeks after the police interception in May, 2021 but had been placed on a waiting list. 

He said police charged Collins over the drug supplies on May 18, 2022, more than 12 months after her phone was seized, with Collins then re-engaging with LLW in August this year. 

Zoie-Jane Collins, 27, pleaded guilty to seven counts of supplying drugs and one of possessing an item used in drug supplies in Rockhampton District Court on November 30. Collins was intercepted driving on Roseberry Street, Gladstone, on May 7, 2021, finding 5.4gms of methamphetamines in her possession,.

He said while Collins had used drugs prior to and leading up to the incident which resulted in her daughter falling into a fire pit and suffering burns to 80 per cent of her body, it spiralled afterwards as she "tried to cope". 

The court heard Collins had previously been sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court in June 2021 to 12 months probation for the meth found in her possession during the May 7 intercept. 

Collins also faced Gladstone Magistrates Court on January 21 for possessing 0.5g of marijuana, and in October 2020 for possessing 1g of marijuana, telling police who had pulled her over on Harvey Rd in Clinton, that "it helped her medical conditions" despite not having a prescription for medicinal marijuana. 

A probation and parole report provided to the court for the drug supplies sentence indicated Collins had not committed any further offences since May 2021 but had relapsed at one point while she was on probation.

Mr Moon provided two drug test results to the court from September and October 2022 where Collins returned negative results.

The court further heard Collins had sought approval on compassionate grounds to attend a drug rehabilitation program in NSW but had returned without completing it. 

Mr Moon said Collins was aware of the "very real" scenario she could spend time in jail and so had arranged for her mother to care for her two daughters in her possible absence. 

He said Collins had completed Year 12 and with experience in reception and bartending, and was planning to return to work. 

Judge Clarke said the report tended to the court indicated Collins was not drug tested at all while on probation and “it tells me nothing about what actually was achieved on your probation order apart from the fact that your response to supervision was satisfactory”.

Defence barrister Scott Moon leaving Rockhampton courthouse.

Judge Jeff Clarke said it was also "not particularly clear" how long Collins had been in NSW for. 

He said he took into account Collins' early guilty plea, and she should be congratulated for her "significant effort" to treat her drug addiction and steer away from her "quite prolific offending". 

Judge Clarke added Collins "should not be proud" of having had her children in the car while trying to arrange drug supplies, warning her it was important she did not "succumb" to meth's grip. 

Judge Clarke sentenced Collins to 12 months prison, wholly suspended and operational for two years.

Originally published as Drug user Zoie-Jane Collins's phone messages revealed six customers asked for meth