2020 Leavers drug seller walks free thanks to glowing rehabilitation review

A Mandurah addict caught selling drugs at Dunsborough leavers has avoided prison thanks to a glowing reference of rehabilitation from the Department of Justice. Rose Jennifer McAdam, 18, was charged with offering to sell/supply a prohibited drug, selling a prohibited drug, and possession of unlawfully obtained cash at the 2020 leavers celebrations. The teenager, pictured, was caught selling unnamed drugs to her friends on two occasions during the end-of-school festivities. She pleaded guilty to all charges in February and appeared before the Busselton Magistrate’s Court this week for sentencing. It was revealed in court McAdams had been spiralling into addiction at the time she was caught and charged. Despite the serious charges, she was given a chance on a six-month pre-sentence order at her February appearance. Adult community corrections recommended sentencing after only 11 weeks on the order as she had turned her life around, and according to the report had no need for further treatment. Defence lawyer Michael Laurino said the reference was proof his client would not reoffend, and applied for a spent conviction. “She has absorbed some real lessons here,” he said. “She’s dealt with what was an emerging drug issue and she has got herself work to the point where she is blazing a trail for her future.” He said if his client was to stay on the order it would impede her from accepting a job as a skydiver. Magistrate Belinda Coleman said while the charges were serious, she felt prison time would be unjust given McAdam’s rehabilitation success. “You’ve done exceptionally well on this pre-sentence order and ordinarily I would require you to continue to undertake that process for at least six months but I’ve never seen a report such as this that’s so positive,” she said. “There’s no doubt at the time you were committing these two separate offences plus the possession of money which relate to those offences... you were taking those drugs yourself in circumstances it seems to me, you were addicted and you were simply on-selling to support your own issues. “But since then you’ve turned thinks around, you’re no longer taking any drugs and I’m certain of you were you would not be offered a job where you’d be jumping out of aeroplanes. “You’ve managed to turn things around so much that community corrections is saying there’s no need to require you to undertake any further programs addressing your issues and similarly suggesting supervision is not even required. “I don’t think I’ve ever read a report which suggests that to me.” McAdams received a 12-month community-based order and was given a spent conviction.