A former Ashmont woman who distributed at least $128,000 worth of the drug 'ice' in Wagga has been ordered to attend rehab prior to a likely prison sentence.
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Olivia May Price, 39, of Cessnock, appeared in Wagga District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, in the form of 365 grams of methylamphetamine or ice.
The amount of ice supplied by Price was equivalent to 12.87 imperial ounces, which she arranged to buy in bulk over three transactions for between $10,000 and $11,000 per ounce.
District Court Judge Gordon Lerve said Price had acted with others to raise the money to purchase ice at Narrandera, Broken Hill and Albury and bring it back to Wagga for sale to users and other dealers.
"Clearly [Price] had contacts with persons who could supply substantial quantities of drug," Judge Lerve said.
"It was not the most sophisticated operation but given the quantities involved and what appears to be a network, the offending is at the low end of the middle in terms of seriousness."
Price also pleaded guilty to supplying 3.62 kilograms of cannabis and participating in criminal group, as well as dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception through changing the locks on her public housing residence in Ashmont.
Judge Lerve said he had made a "rare" decision to accept an application from Price's solicitor to apply Section 11 of the Crimes Sentencing Procedure Act, which allows a deferral of sentencing for rehabilitation.
"I have been a judicial officer for 17 years as of today and I can count on one hand the number of times I have granted a Section 11," he said.
Price's sentence assessment recommended she spend three to six months in the Miruma residential centre for female offenders, which is operated by Corrective Services NSW.
Judge Lerve said Price's "gambling addiction seems to be the driving force behind the offending", that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing her partner's murder and had been injecting one gram of ice per day.
Judge Lerve warned Price that she was now on bail and a warrant for her arrest could be issued for any breaches.
"I don't want to give false hope as I cannot give a guarantee that I will not send [Price] back to custody when she finishes the course," Judge Lerve said.
"There must be a full-time custodial sentence ... due to the quantity of drugs and misery that methylamphetamine inflicts on society."
Corrective Services NSW has been ordered to report on Price's progress in the rehabilitation course by her next hearing on May 19.
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