Pilbara grandmother Phillipa Bolton jailed for dealing meth to fund drug addiction while caring for child

A 44-year-old Karratha grandmother who dealt methamphetamine over Facebook to fund her own drug habit while caring for her partner’s grandchild has been jailed for eight months. Phillipa Bolton appeared before Karratha Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on 20 drug-related charges including nine counts of offering to sell or supply meth and two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia. Bolton was also charged with possessing cannabis. The court was told that about 1pm on May 31 police searched Bolton’s property after issuing a misuse use of drugs warrant. During the search police discovered a box containing two clip seal bags of meth weighing 1g and 0.07g respectively as well as a set of scales. A Mentos container was found with three clip seal bags, each with 0.3g of meth. Four oxytocin tablets, 11g of cannabis and a new 75 inch Samsung TV were also found. Police also found a box containing $1085. The court was told Bolton told police she traded 0.2g of meth for the television and $100. Police prosecutor Sergeant Warren Scott said in messages on Bolton’s phone she offered to sell meth and cannabis through Facebook messenger over a three-month period. Bolton’s lawyer Rahana Bell said Bolton acknowledged what she did was wrong and the operation was not extensive or sophisticated. “She was on-selling to provide her own use,” she said. “Several of the possession charges are under 1g.” Bolton was the primary carer for her partner’s grandchild who was suspected to have foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Magistrate Gavin MacLean said there was no doubt Bolton began as a user before becoming a user/dealer. “It’s not for me to judge where she is in the drug hierarchy, she is sentenced for what she has done,” he said. Magistrate MacLean said a term of immediate imprisonment was the only option. Bolton was sentenced to eight months in prison and will be available for parole.