Two women who were jailed for selling a commercial quantity of methamphetamine were described as a "regional sales representative" when they appeared in Orange District Court for sentencing on Friday.
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The women were arrested in 2016 as a result of a police investigation that involved phone intercepts between August and November 2015, that targeted a Bathurst co-accused, who is yet to be sentenced.
One of the two women, Renee Chantell Borg, 36, of Orange, appeared before Judge Sharron Norton after being found guilty by a jury, was initially charged with supplying 333 grams of methamphetamine in 12 transactions.
The phone intercepts tracked negotiations of money and drugs between Orange and Bathurst.
However, Borg claimed all she did was make phone calls, didn't handle the drugs and didn't know the drug was methamphetamine.
It was submitted that the operation lacked sophistication and only a low level of planning was undertaken.
- Judge Sharron Norton
Kylie Jane Gray, 55, of Wellington, was also sentenced and was accused of four transactions of larger amounts of drugs and cash than Borg, with the initial charge being for 340 grams of methamphetamine.
Gray was also found guilty by a jury at trial and maintained the drugs she sold were cannabis, not methamphetamine.
Judge Norton said Gray "acted as a regional sales rep in Wellington" but said for both women the level of organisation and planning was "generally chaotic" and not sophisticated and said their involvement was to feed their own drug addictions.
"It was submitted that the operation lacked sophistication and only a low level of planning was undertaken," she said.
Judge Norton said the maximum penalty for the charges was 20 years in jail with a standard non-parole period of 10 years but the offences of both women were well below the mid-range.
Borg had spent 223 days in custody for the matter and Judge Norton gave her a back-dated jail sentence of four years and six months, a non-parole period of two years and eight months with a parole release date of March 27, 2021.
She stated while in custody [on remand] she ceased using and wanted her life to be different.
- Judge Sharron Norton
Gray spent 509 days in custody and was given a five-year jail term with a three-year non-parole period making her eligible for release on October 13, 2020.
Judge Norton said Borg was exposed to drug and alcohol abuse young and started using cannabis when she was 11 and methamphetamine when she was 17.
"She stated while in custody [on remand] she ceased using and wanted her life to be different," she said.
Judge Norton said while in jail Borg should take part in crystal methamphetamine anonymous or narcotics anonymous meetings and be referred to counselling services.
She said Borg's previous employment as a traffic controller and stopping drug use were positive indicators for rehabilitation.
However, both women had been victims of domestic violence and had previous criminal convictions for drug related matters and Gray failed drug tests while in custody after her bail was refused.
As a result Judge Norton made it a condition of Gray's parole that she undergo urine testing although she said it was good that Gray completed vocational courses while in custody.
The court heard Gray was the 13th of 15 children and grew up in a house where 20 people lived and was exposed to violence and alcohol abuse.
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