Jessica Pennery-Keenan, 21, of Denny Street, Warrnambool, yesterday pleaded guilty in  Warrnambool Magistrates Court to charges of trafficking ice and ecstasy between October 14 last year and August 28 this year, possessing and using cannabis, possessing prescription medication and harassing a witness.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said it appeared that when Pennery-Keenan’s stepfather Mark Lockwood was jailed in October last year she took over the family business.

He noted that Pennery-Keenan’s mother has also been charged with drug offences.

In handing down a three-month jail sentence, the magistrate said ice was being used in epidemic proportions across the south-west and caused enormous damage to the community.

Mr Klestadt said Pennery-Keenan had committed one of the most serious crimes that could be dealt with by the magistrates court — drug trafficking.

He said she had been dealing in ice (methamphetamine) and ecstasy (amphetamine) for almost 12 months and it was clear she had been involved in a range of other illicit substances.

The magistrate said police did not quantify the amounts of drugs or cash but it was clear Pennery-Keenan went into the operation with her eyes wide open, even if her drug dealing was to largely supply her own drug needs.

Mr Klestadt described the early part of Pennery-Keenan’s drug dealing as low to moderate, which escalated to middle to high range when she started a relationship with a co-accused.

Pennery-Keenan was sentenced to serve three months in jail with 21 days counted as already served. 

She will then have to complete an 18-month community corrections order which includes 120 hours’ community work with assessment and treatment conditions.

Police told the court that during October last year Pennery-Keenan started dealing in ice and ecstasy through a network of buyers.

She then started a relationship with co-accused Dylan Stone and police allege the couple trafficked drugs together on a much bigger scale.

One text message on August 22 referred to a deal involving eight grams of amphetamine for $1400. 

On the day Pennery-Keenan was arrested a 17-year-old was intercepted by police leaving her home with seven grams of amphetamine in his possession.

On August 28 this year a house inspection led to a tip-off to police about illicit drugs.

Police went to the Denny Street property and officers allege that Pennery-Keenan and Mr Stone fled by jumping a rear fence but were arrested nearby. A search by police located 480 grams of cannabis in a vacuum-sealed bag, $1635 in cash including 29 $50 notes, two grams of white powder, deal bags containing powder residue and prescription medication including morphine, Xanax and Oxycontin.

On August 29 Pennery-Keenan was bailed with strict conditions.

On September 18 Pennery-Keenan received a copy of her police brief of evidence and the next day contacted a prosecution witness by text message in breach of her bail conditions.

She was arrested later that day and remanded in custody until this week when she entered guilty pleas before police had completed a complete forensic examination of her six mobile telephones.

Mr Stone remains in custody.

In a sentencing submission police prosecutor Senior Constable Nathan Brown said anyone who picked up a newspaper knew the effects of ice in the community.

He said it was an insidious drug and a clear message needed to be sent to the community that those involved in distribution of the drug that destroyed lives would be jailed.