Claudia Faye Costello pleads guilty in Toowoomba Supreme Court to possessing and selling ice

A young mum first claimed the commercial quantity of ice was left in her house by a stranger after a party but her story fell apart when police seized her phone and thousands in cash. Read the details here.

An expectant mother who tried to claim a large amount of pure methylamphetamine was left behind by a party guest, but was brought undone by messages on her phone, and cash stashed in her home.

Police raided Claudia Faye Costello’s Warwick home on August 6, 2021, and seized almost 14 grams of a crystal substance that was stashed in several places throughout the residence.

Later forensic testing found that the substance contained about 10.3 grams of pure meth.

On Tuesday Crown prosecutor Emily Coley told the Toowoomba Supreme Court that when presented with the drugs, the 22-year-old Costello told police they were not hers and that someone left them in her home after a party.

Despite distancing herself from the drugs, police went on to find about $3700 in cash within the home.

The court was told Costello surrendered her phone which contained text messages detailing evidence of at least two offers from her to sell meth.

Claudia Faye Costello, 22, pleaded guilty to possessing and supplying dangerous drugs.

Police charged Costello with two counts of supplying a dangerous drug, one of possessing the schedule one drug in excess of two grams and three lesser drug charges.

She pleaded guilty to all charges.

Defence barrister Stephen Kissick told the court there was no dispute that his client was selling drugs but he added that she had cleaned her life up in the months after the raid.

The court was told Costell was a mother of one child and was three months pregnant with her second.

“The partner she is with now is not a drug user, there are no drugs in her life and she is three months pregnant,” he said.

“Her new partner has moved out to Warwick to be with her.”

Given her young age and modest criminal history, Mr Kissick asked the court to jail his client but give her immediate parole so she could access drug rehabilitation services in the community.

Justice David Boddice agreed.

“You seem to have taken steps to turn your life around and it seems those steps have been successful,” he said.

“You have good prospects for rehabilitation but time will tell.”

Justice Boddice sentenced Costello to two years in jail with immediate parole.

“You have a very good reason to stay away from drugs, you are expecting a child and the use of drugs would only harm that child,” he said.