Warrane mum-of-five facing jail time after pleading guilty to drug trafficking while on parole

A Tasmanian mother of five – with a 55-page rap sheet – has accepted the “inevitable” fate of more prison time after pleading guilty to trafficking drugs while on parole.

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WITH a list of prior convictions that is 55 pages long, a Warrane woman is facing more prison time after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.

Vanessa Lee Wolf, 43, appeared in the Supreme Court in Hobart on Thursday.

She previously pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and two smoking devices, dealing with the proceeds of crime, and trafficking controlled substances.

The Crown Prosecutor told the court at about 1am on December 21, 2019, police pulled over a Mitsubishi on Cambridge Rd, Warrane in which Ms Wolf was a passenger.

She pulled a purple purse out of her bra which contained crystal methamphetamine and more was located in her handbag.

Warrane woman Vanessa Wolf. Picture: Facebook.

Police also found approximately $3900 in cash in her purse which was mostly in $50 notes, which the crown alleges was the proceeds of crime.

The court heard police searched Ms Wolf’s phone and found she had been selling drugs since at least October 9, 2019.

The court heard the value of the drugs seized on December 21 could be between $7500 and $26,500 depending on how they were sold.

The court heard Ms Wolf had a long history of prior convictions for dishonesty and drug offences, with 55 pages of prior convictions.

She was on parole at the time of these offences, which was subsequently revoked and she was been in custody since her arrest in December.

The Crown Prosecutor said Ms Wolf had not spent in time in custody in relation to this offending.

Warrane woman Vanessa Wolf. Picture: Facebook.

Defence lawyer Caroline Graves said Ms Wolf had five children and was the victim of physical and emotional abuse before she became a drug addict and she turned to meth to “self medicate.”

Ms Graves said Ms Wolf had sought counselling for her drug addiction while in prison and was seeking a placement in a residential program set to open soon in Lutana.

With no prior convictions for trafficking, Ms Graves said this incident had taken Ms Wolf’s offending to “another level.”

She said her client “felt safer in prison than in the outside world.”

“She acknowledges she needs support and accepts a custodial[prison] sentence is inevitable due to her prior convictions,” Ms Graves said.

Justice Gregory Geason adjourned the case for sentencing on September 25.