Four members of an alleged methamphetamine ring operating between Dubbo, Wellington and Sydney faced Dubbo Local Court yesterday.
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Tara Follett, 25, and Danielle Follet, 21, were committed to Dubbo District Court for sentence next year.
Brendan Lee Gray, 25, will reappear in Dubbo Local Court on December 8 and Megan Humphries, 28, was released on a suspended sentence and good behaviour bond following time already served in jail.
The quartet was arrested in June following a covert police operation and charged over drug deals stretching from late 2009 to early 2010.
Police also arrested a number of Sydney-based people alleged to be members of a drug syndicate. Those arrested included a 14-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man accused of being an associate of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang.
Tara Follett appeared before Magistrate Howard Hamilton via audiovisual link from Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre.
She pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying a prohibited drug on an ongoing basis and one charge of supplying a prohibited drug. A charge of owner/occupier knowingly allow use as drug premises was also referred to Dubbo District Court.
Six other drug charges were withdrawn by the Department of Public Prosecutions. Follett is due to be sentenced on January 31. There was no application for bail.
Danielle Follett appeared on bail before Magistrate Hamilton and pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying a prohibited drug on an ongoing basis.
Ten other drug charges were withdrawn by the prosecution. She will be sentenced on January 31. Bail was continued.
Brendan Gray appeared via audiovisual link from Wellington Correctional Centre.
He faced nine charges of supplying a prohibited drug, one charge of supplying commercial quantities of a prohibited drug and one charge of participating in a criminal group assist criminal activity.
The court heard plea negotiations between Gray and the Department of Public Prosecutions had stalled.
The prosecution asked for a one-week adjournment to settle facts. Gray was ordered to reappear in local court on December 8.
There was no application for bail.
Megan Humphries pleaded guilty to one charge of supply prohibited drug. Six other drug charges were withdrawn.
The court was told Humphries served four months and 20 days in jail before obtaining bail.
The solicitor representing Humphries said she had been in a relationship with an alleged drug syndicate member currently being held in custody in Sydney.
The court heard the man pressured Humphries and she felt trapped.
“My client wasn’t willing to say boo without asking permission from the co-offender,’’ the solicitor said.
Mr Hamilton said time already served by Humphries was equivalent to the non-parole period of the drug supply offence.
She was convicted, placed on a seven-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to enter into a good behaviour bond.
Humphries was warned any offence during the period of the bond would result in imprisonment.