A Papamoa solo mother who agreed to roll dope into tinnies for a "middleman" in return for $50 or keeping some of the drug to feed her own habit has been sentenced to three months' home detention.
Valerie Fiona Luke, 47, who pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cannabis for supply last month, was also sentenced to 100 hours' community work when she appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday before Judge Peter Rollo.
Police searched the Hartford Ave home Luke shares with her 14-year-old son on May 11 and found a total of 121g of cannabis, including 22g made up into tinnies, eight pieces of tinfoil cut into squares, two commercial-sized boxes of tinfoil, and a set of electronic scales.
Luke told police a "middleman" brought the cannabis to her house and she held the drugs on behalf of the owner. Sometimes she rolled the cannabis into tinnies, then the middleman would return to collect them and take them to the person who sold the drugs.
She also admitted that she was given one or two ounces (28-56g) twice a week to hold for the drugs' owner, and the supplier either paid her $50 or allowed her to keep some of the dope for her own personal use.
Crown prosecutor Nick Belton said there was an element of commerciality in Luke's offending and a sentence of nine to 12 months' prison was justified before any allowance was made for her guilty plea and any aggravating and mitigating factors, including the fact that this offending occurred in the home while her son was present.
Luke's lawyer Tony Balme urged Judge Rollo to impose a sentence of home detention even though it would be served at the same address where the offending occurred.
Mr Balme said Luke had been "a cog in a much bigger wheel" of people involved in drug dealing who had taken advantage of his client's weakness for cannabis. He said Luke knew she should have had the strength of character not to got involved and was deeply remorseful. She now realised that she had placed her son's care in jeopardy.
Judge Rollo said he accepted Luke had been used by others who had taken advantage of her "frailty and low self esteem". He was prepared to step back from a prison sentence given her own personal circumstances and those of her son.
Luke will be subjected to post detention conditions requiring her to continue to undergoing drug abuse counselling and other counselling as required.
Mum rolled dope for middleman
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