A HABITUAL Warrnambool ice dealer who wiped mobile phones of evidence under the pretence of getting someone to look after her children has been remanded in custody.
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Samantha Vickery, 32, of Henry Street, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to two charges of trafficking crystal methamphetamine, among a host of offences.
Magistrate John Lesser said it was regrettable that Vickery had been arrested three times before the charges could be brought before the court.
He said the persistence of offending not only had an impact on Vickery, but also her family and other members of the community. The magistrate said his experience in Warrnambool was that the ice epidemic was galloping on and Vickery’s actions had not assisted.
Mr Lesser said that Vickery had served 50 days in custody but that was not enough and he remanded her in jail to come back to court on January 30 to be sentenced.
Vickery is at that time likely to be placed on a community corrections order.
Warrnambool police’s Op-eration Virtuous targeted Vickery’s ice trafficking.
Officers executed a search warrant at her home on August 25 and found $2625 cash in her handbag, deal bags containing ice residue, five sets of scales, 500 deal bags and multiple mobile phones.
After being arrested, Vickery asked to make arrangements for her children but instead of using one of her phones she hit the factory reset button which wiped out any potential drug trafficking evidence.
Vickery told police she had been using ice for 12 months.
Her boyfriend was also caught with ice valued at $20,000.
Vickery was released on bail but just five days later was intercepted by police in her blue Holden Commodore leaving the home of a known drug trafficker.
Officers found $1440 in her wallet and various evidence of drug trafficking. Vickery was again released on bail but was pulled over by police at 8.30pm on October 31 in Fitzroy Road.
During a search police found two grams of ice in her handbags and more drugs were found at her home.
Defence counsel Amanda Chambers said Vickery claimed to have been living in “iceland” for the past year, she started using socially and then sold small amounts to support her habit.
She said her client’s world had been turned upside down and she had lost custody of her two children.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Sandra Skilton said a strong message needed to be sent to the general community that those involved in drug trafficking faced serving terms of imprisonment not measured in weeks, but months or years.