A young mother repeatedly caught trafficking the drug ice has received a powerful lecture from a judge, as well as one month slashed off her jail sentence.
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Kayleearne Clyde, 23, of Laverock Road, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court in November to trafficking methamphetamine, dealing with property believed to be proceeds of crime and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
She was jailed for six months.
On Thursday Clyde appealed against the severity of the jail term in the Warrnambool County Court.
Lawyer Anthony Pyne said Clyde had an "absolutely dreadful personal history" and had spiralled out of control after her only child was removed from her care immediately after she gave birth in June last year.
He said in the 142 days Clyde had already served in custody, she maintained abstinence from drugs and had completed a number of certificates, including one in traffic management.
Mr Pyne said the appeal application was not for the purpose of opposing a jail sentence but appealing against the additional one month handed down for committing an indictable offence on bail.
Clyde was charged in September last year after a search warrant executed at her house uncovered cash, crystal methamphetamine, mobile phones and drug paraphernalia, including scales.
Police also located text messages on her mobile phone that related to the sale of drugs.
At the police station, a further search located methamphetamine in her bra.
Clyde was previously placed on a community corrections order for trafficking drugs, but breached that order.
A magistrate had given her another chance on the CCO, but she breached it again and was on bail awaiting a hearing for breaching the CCO when she was arrested.
Judge Paul Higham said Clyde had been given a number of second chances and failed them.
But, he said he believed she had served sufficient time in order to make a decision about her future priorities.
He set aside the original sentence and ordered the remaining one-months' jail to be served concurrently.
That means Clyde is expected to be released in about one week.
The judge said if Clyde's prospects of being reunited with her child weren't sufficient motivation to stay out of trouble, she could expect to appear back before the court.
"Often I'm told that if no one used meth, the courts would probably be reduced by about 80 per cent," he said.
"But if everyone had a happy childhood, courts would be reduced by maybe 95 per cent.
"You were not responsible for what happened to you as a child but you have your own child now.
If you have it back and you fall back into drug use, and DHHS takes (your child) away, you will damage your child as clearly as if you stabbed out cigarettes on their body, because you're ensuring they will have developmental disorders but also a sense of self esteem as low as yours right now.
"(And they will) start using, or drinking, or offending when they are very young because they won't be able to understand the world.
"You've been given chances but your future if you carry on using (meth) is very very clear. At age of 40, if you're still alive, which will be in doubt, you'll be walking the street with no hope and no teeth.
"We can paint the picture now so it's really up to you."
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