Carnarvon mother and son jailed over $24,500 meth seizure
A Carnarvon woman and her son have been jailed for two and three years respectively after they were found with methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $24,500.
Anne Tran Dinh, 56, and Andrew Dinh Tran, 38, were sentenced in the District Court at Carnarvon earlier this month after a jury found them both guilty of possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply.
The court was told 24.2g of the drug was seized during a vehicle search at Hamelin Pool on November 18, 2014.
Judge Christopher Stevenson, in sentencing the pair, noted that neither had accepted responsibility for the offences.
He described Dinh as a person of otherwise good character, but who had shown no remorse, borne out in part by her lack of concern in relation to her son using prohibited drugs and being engaged in the drug subculture.
Dinh, who came to Australia with her family from Vietnam in 1982, was involved in an agricultural operation with her family in Carnarvon before the offence.
Judge Stevenson said there was a need for strong denunciation of the duo’s conduct, for deterrence and for rehabilitation.
He said the transport of prohibited drugs to rural areas was a serious matter.
He imposed immediate jail terms for both, backdated to February 13 when they had been taken into custody.
He also made them eligible for parole once they have served half of their terms.
Outside court, Detective Sergeant Bruce McDonald said the seizure had a significant impact in Carnarvon.
“Illicit drugs such as meth are known to cause disproportionate community harm, and are a driver or cause for offences such as family violence, burglaries and stealing,” he said.
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