QLD Health nurse Mary-Ann Hamilton guilty of prison drug supply

A Queensland Health nurse, who escaped convictions for former minor transgressions, hasn’t been as lucky this time after a favour, allegedly for her prisoner son, ended her 30-year career.

Mary-Ann Hamilton, 66, supplied 50 oxymethalone tablets and 202 strips of buprenorphine to a prisoner at Capricornia Correctional Centre on November 11, 2022, the Supreme Court in Rockhampton heard on August 19, 2024. Photo of Hamilton leaving Rockhampton courthouse.

A nurse of 30 years has lost her job after her son allegedly “pressured” and “manipulated” her into a drug package drop in a Queensland prison.

This is after the son allegedly failed to detail the significant quantity and type of drug she was delivering to him, Rockhampton Supreme Court heard on Monday.

Mary-Ann Hamilton, 66, supplied 50 oxymetholone tablets and 202 strips of buprenorphine to a prisoner at Capricornia Correctional Centre on November 11, 2022.

Crown prosecutor Monique Bros-Wilshire said the prisoner was allegedly Hamilton’s son Steve Reynolds.

The court heard Mr Reynolds, who was serving a 2.5 year prison term at the time for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm, had been charged with two counts of possessing drugs which had not yet been finalised and had not entered any pleas for the charges which are next listed for mention on September 11.

Ms Bros-Wilshire said Hamilton allegedly visited Mr Reynolds at the Etna Creek, north of Rockhampton, facility and while sitting next to him, she placed the parcel which contained the drugs inside black balloons on her lap.

She said Mr Reynolds allegedly picked up the parcel and put it down his pants.

Ms Bros-Wilshire said Hamilton’s home was searched months later and the shirt she was seen wearing in the prison’s CCTV from the visit was found at her home.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said her client had worked as a nurse for 30 years and her minor Queensland criminal history, which contained six entries all had no convictions recorded (the first being for possessing 1.5 grams of marijuana and a drug utensil) so she could keep her employment.

She said Hamilton lost her job when she was charged for these last offences and would not be able to return to it due to the conviction recorded.

Ms Willey said her client provided her lawyers with a Statutory Declaration written by Mr Reynolds just before the sentencing proceedings on August 19 and that Mr Reynolds did get legal advice before writing it and was made aware of the potential impacts - that his charges could be upgraded to the same as his mother’s.

“The instructions that I have is that he chose to do so, feeling essentially that he placed his mother in this position,” she said.

“Mr Reynolds states in here: ‘My mother had no knowledge as to what was in my package’.”

Ms Willey said her client was aware there were drugs in the parcel, just not the quantity or type.

“She thought it perhaps might have been cannabis and otherwise tobacco,” Ms Willey said.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said she read the Statutory Declaration and noted that Mr Reynolds used the words “pressured” and “manipulation” regarding him pushing his mother to “bring the package into the prison”.

“I haven’t sat in your shoes,” she said to Hamilton who stood in the dock, dabbing her eyes and wiping her nose, sobbing and sniffling.

“I don’t know what it would be like to have your son in prison put pressure on you like that but what I do know is the feeling that a mother has for her child and no matter how old your child gets or what they do, they’re still your child.”

Hamilton pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a dangerous drug in a prison.

Justice Bowskill sentenced her to two years’ prison with immediate parole release.

Originally published as QLD Health nurse Mary-Ann Hamilton guilty of prison drug supply