Elisha May Guinane sentenced over meth, $47k cash found in Clarion Hotel room drug bust

A major drug dealer jumped from a hotel balcony to escape police while his girlfriend was left to take the fall for what was described as a ‘serious commercial operation’.

Elisha May Guinane leaves the Rockhampton Courthouse after her sentencing on August 23, 2021.

A major drug dealer jumped from the balcony of a Central Queensland hotel to escape police while his 19-year-old girlfriend was left in their room to take the fall.

Elisha May Guinane, now 20, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court at Rockhampton on Monday to serious drugs charges before Justice Graeme Crow said it was “very difficult to find a case like this.”

The court heard that Guinane had been arrested and taken to the Mackay Watch-house after police went to the Clarion Hotel on September 8, 2019, about 8am.

At the at Mackay Marina hotel, the officers obtained a room key from reception and knocked on a room door.

They heard both male and female voices coming from inside.

One of the officers partially opened the door and saw “a figure” exit the room onto the balcony.

The door was not able to be fully opened because it had a table pushed up against it.

The officers were eventually able to enter the room, where Guinane was present but the male person had absconded.

Once inside, police saw a plastic bag covering a smoke alarm to prevent it from being activated, which indicated recent drug use.

During a search of the room, the officers found a Phoenix 22-calibre handgun on a bedside table.

That gun was loaded with a magazine containing 11 rounds of ammunition.

The serial number on the weapon had been “grounded out.”

In a black backpack under a bedside table, police found numerous items including a total of $47,790 cash, methamphetamine, vials of testosterone, drug equipment, another six rounds of .22 calibre ammunition and a stolen passport.

Clarion Hotel, Mackay Marina.

Receipts inside the backpack contained Guinane’s fingerprints which showed she had access to the bag.

The total amount of pure methamphetamine found was more than 44g and there was in excess of 59g in substance (total estimated worth between $6k and $16k).

Justice Crow described it as “an enormous amount” of the drug.

During the investigation, police also recovered six mobile phones for which Guinane failed to provide access codes for.

Justice Crow said the person who owned the drugs was involved in a “serious commercial operation”.

“Ultimately the Crown accepts that you had knowledge and control over the drugs, but ultimately they were for distribution by another – that is, the commercial purpose was not yours,” he said.

“It seems there was a brief period in your life when you got involved in a drug culture.

“Since then you’ve thankfully, after 26 days in custody, even at a young age, seen the light and I accept that you’ve turned your back on drugs.

“You have three negative drug screens.

“You have partnered with (new partner) who seems to me has no involvement in a drug culture – you are fortunate.”

Guinane pleaded guilty to numerous charges including multiple counts of dangerous drug possession, possessing a weapon and one with altered identification, receiving tainted property, and possessing property suspected of being proceeds of drug crime.

She spent 26 days in custody following her arrest and was on bail prior to sentencing.

She had one non-relevant entry on her criminal history.

Justice Crow sentenced Guinane to two years and six months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of two-and-a-half years.

Originally published as Elisha May Guinane sentenced over meth, $47k cash found in Clarion Hotel room drug bust