A WARRNAMBOOL mother who smuggled ice into prison for her partner will pay off a $1200 fine at less than $5 a week after pleaded guilty in court.
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Stephanie Vanzyl, 26, previously of Nixon Road, Corio, pleaded guilty in the Koori division of the Warrnambool Magistrates Court yesterday to trafficking ice and introducing contraband into a prison.
She was not convicted and fined $1200, but due to outstanding fines of more than $5000 will pay off the new fine at $20 a month. It will take five years.
Police said that on September 14 last year Vanzyl went to Marngoneet Prison, near Geelong, to see her partner who is a prisoner.
She took the couple’s eight-month-old son.
At 10.45am she arrived at the jail. Her partner was seated at a table in the visitor’s centre and Vanzyl put her back towards the security camera. Her partner was acting suspiciously and constantly looking at the security camera. Prison staff had already “flagged” Vanzyl in relation to suspicious behaviour and she was being watched on camera.
At 10.59am Vanzyl got an object out of the front of her pants and handed it to her partner who put his hand down the rear of his pants.
The visit was then terminated by prison staff.
The partner was put in a seclusion cell and Vanzyl was detained until police arrived.
Vanzyl was arrested and made full admissions to taking contraband into the prison and trafficking ice. At about 3.30pm her partner produced a condom which contained a white crystal substance, believed to be ice, weighing 1.1 grams.
Koori elders Lenny Clarke and Michael Bell both said Vanzyl was naive and under the influence of her partner.
Mr Clarke said he had no doubt that due to her excellent work history Vanzyl would do well in life but she had been caught through her involvement with an ice user.
Mr Bell said Vanzyl had no prior convictions, she had good prospects of rehabilitation.
