A woman labelled as the "Lieutenant" in a drug ring operating out of Wellington has been told to consider the impact ice has had on her hometown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tara Elizabeth Follett, 36, has escaped time behind bars despite her involvement in the syndicate, despite her role as an 'executive assistant' being heard in the Dubbo District Court on Friday.
Follett was sentenced after she was charged and pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity.
Follett was one of dozens arrested in May 2020, after police busted a drug syndicate operating out of Wellington as part of operation called Strike Force Pinnacle.
The 14-month undercover police operation dismantled the drug ring sourcing ice, heroin, cocaine and MDMA from Sydney and supplying it out of Wellington.
As part of the investigation, detectives monitored kingpin Kyle Thompson, and his associates from June 2019 until his arrest on May 27, 2020.
According to the court, Follett was previously residing in Canberra until July 2019 when she moved to Wellington to live with her mother at a home on Gisborne Street.
Phones, SIM cards and note books filled with information about the syndicate's activities were seized when police raided Follett's home in May last year.
Contact details for members of the syndicate, passwords and a list of devices used by the boss of the syndicate were found in the notebook, the court heard.
When police searched Follett's phone, her search history showed Google searches about a range of issues related to the syndicate's operation.
Searches included 'can I be arrested for doing admin tasks for a drug dealer', 'being a drug dealers secretary', 'what should drug dealers organise before going to goal (sic)', 'why has my account been closed down twice by two different banks' and 'how many grams in a ball'.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Follett was responsible for the management of the telecommunication devices used by the boss of the syndicate, and would regularly change, disconnect devices and wipe data.
Follett would also manage and maintain the boss's social media accounts and email, including the use of encrypted communication applications.
The court heard conflict would begin between her and the boss when Thompson wouldn't follow Follett's advice or if she didn't like how she was being treated.
On these occasions Follett would change the passwords to Thompson's various devices and accounts or disconnect his mobile phones, disrupting the operation.
Although she felt embarrassed and ashamed then, she's come back 10 years later, done the exact same thing albeit it with the exact same person
- Crown lawyer Jesse Friend
Follett also took responsibility for the syndicate's legal arrangements and researched contingency plans such as how to set up trusts, which drug money could be funnelled into for the children and how to purchase property while keeping Centrelink payments.
In the Dubbo District Court this week, defence lawyer David Hemsworth argued the offending sat at the mid to lower range of seriousness, as she was not involved in the criminal supply of the drugs.
Mr Hemsworth argued Follett's involvement in the syndicate was not sophisticated, or motivated by a need for financial gain.
"As far as executive assistants go, she didn't help very much," Mr Hemsworth said.
The court heard Follett began using ice socially after moving back to Wellington. However, she had been abstinent since her arrest.
She said she became involved in the syndicate, primarily to help find an "exit strategy" for her sister Danielle and her children, who was in a relationship with Mr Thompson, believing he would end up back in jail.
The court heard it was not her intention to aid in the running of the syndicate, and had no information about the operation.
However Crown lawyer Jesse Friend said her involvement was more significant in the syndicate as there had been a degree of planning and knowledge, and was a trusted member.
"Essentially her role was to provide the general, which was Kyle Thompson, with some aspect of security that his phones weren't being traced," Mr Friend said.
"There's a significant degree of trust placed in the offender of this matter. So much so that he comes to her to set up each individual phone.
"The communication lines stop when she refuses to assist."
He said her knowledge of her criminality, and trust within the group was further reinforced by the Google searches she made.
"The offender has specifically gone out of her way to research contingency plans for when they get caught," Mr Friend said.
"When you look at the facts and the searches made by Ms Follett, there's no way the court can be satisfied that she just didn't know," Mr Friend said.
"[She searched] 'being a drug dealers secretary', not 'can I get arrested for just being a drug dealers secretary'. That search in itself shows she knew what she was getting in to.
The court heard Follett was sentenced to a term of imprisonment in 2010, after her involvement in another drug syndicate trafficking ice, operating out of Wellington which was headed by the same Kyle Thompson.
"Although she felt embarrassed and ashamed then, she's come back 10 years later, done the exact same thing albeit it with the exact same person," Mr Friend said.
She was brought back into the group when Kyle Thompson asked her to set up a Facebook page for her. It then led to him asking her for other things.
"Now she says she didn't think it was a problem, but how do you think it's not a problem when you're searching things like 'how to be drug dealers secretary', 'what should we organise before going to jail'."
After her arrest in 2020, the court heard Follett spent 29 days in custody, until she was granted Supreme Court bail where she was placed under conditions in line with house arrest.
Mr Hemsworth argued since released on bail, Follett had been on onerous conditions, and taken significant steps toward rehabilitation.
The court heard since released she had gained employment at Woolworths in Wellington and worked her way up to being the online department manager.
Her strong employment history, Judge Nanette Williams said was one of the primary reasons a jail sentence could be served in the community.
Judge Williams said she had seen limited evidence of remorse by Follett, apart from her plea of guilt and through the character reference handed up from her grandmother June Horan.
"I did not hear any expressions of remorse directly from the offender," Judge Williams said.
And said it was one of the rare cases before the court where Follett had the benefit of a loving and supportive intact family, she had completed year 12, and she held down stable employment for many years
"Which is I have to say the exception rather than the norm," Judge Williams said.
Judge Williams suggested Ms Follett would benefit from reading the findings from the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug 'Ice', and the impacts the drug has on communities, particularly in regional NSW.
"Ms Follett is part and parcel of the reason why Wellington has descended into this tragic little town... It's right-minded people's job to restore Wellington to the better times where people can live in the community and hold their head up and be proud of that town, which is one of the oldest settlements I'm told in regional NSW.
Judge Williams said Follett was a "trusted lieutenant" in the syndicate, however had taken positive steps toward rehabilitation since her arrest, which would be "lost" if she was to enter time behind bars.
Follett was convicted and sentenced to a two-year term of imprisonment to be served in the community by way of an intensive corrections order.
She was also subject to a number of strict conditions including a curfew for the first two months, 100 hours of community service, she must abstain from drugs, participate in a drug rehabilitation and relapse program, and obtain a mental health treatment plan with her GP.
Follett was also ordered not to associate with other members of the syndicate, apart from her sister Danielle Follett and mother Karon Horan.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.centralwesterndaily.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Catch up on our news headlines at Google News