Rain Barker: Addicted Tasmanian farmhand guilty of six charges

A Tasmanian woman whose prize pumpkin was stolen earlier this year has pleaded guilty to six charges in court, with her lawyer saying she was self-medicating herself.

A Tasmanian farmhand whose gargantuan pumpkin was famously stolen earlier this year wasn’t just growing prized gourds at home, a court has heard.

Bishopsbourne woman Rain Barker, 27, pleaded guilty in Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday to six offences.

They included cultivating cannabis, two charges each of possessing cannabis and driving while on a suspended licence, possessing three glass smoking pipes, and driving while methamphetamine and cannabis were present in her oral fluid.

On February 9 last year, Barker was busted driving on the East Tamar Highway at Invermay while on a suspended licence.

Two months later, on April 19, she was again busted driving while suspended, this time at Waugh St, Invermay, this time with meth and cannabis present in her oral fluid.

Hopes squashed: Rain Barker is trying to track down the thief who stole her prize pumpkin. Picture: Supplied

Finally, earlier this year on January 9, a search warrant uncovered her home cannabis set-up.

Defence lawyer James Kitto told the court his client hadn’t offended for 30 months prior to her current matters.

“She was diagnosed with depression in 2013... and has been smoking cannabis regularly since January 2018,” he said.

“She’s been regularly advised to cease... but self-medicated via cannabis.”

Mr Kitto said his client was an “industrious worker” who was paying off her own home.

As she couldn’t apply for a restricted work licence due to prior convictions, she would face “great difficulty” getting to and from work.

Rain Barker has been convicted of cultivating cannabis. Picture: Supplied

“I’m not sure how she’ll cope with that as she lives in a country setting,” Mr Kitto said.

She was fined $800, ordered to pay costs and levies, and placed on a 12-month community corrections order, conditional on her completing 35 hours of unpaid community service and the Equips Addiction Program.

Her licence was also disqualified.

The Mercury reported in April Barker’s prized pumpkin, with an approximate diameter of 70cm, which she was growing as part of her family’s giant pumpkin growing competition, had been stolen from her patch just days before it was due to be harvested.