A mum who left her kids to die in a hot car was using up to $200 worth of the drug ice per day, selling remaining amounts so she would effectively “get drugs for free”, a court has been told.
Simon Hamlyn-Harris, counsel assisting the coroner, read out the shocking statement in Brisbane Coroners Court on Friday as the inquest into the deaths of Kerri-Ann Conley’s daughters entered its final day.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Darcey-Helen and her 13-month-old sister Chloe-Ann Conley died after being left in their mother’s car, parked outside her Waterford West home, on November 23, 2019.
Temperatures inside the vehicle climbed beyond 61.5C as Conley slept, the girls finally pulled from the car some nine hours later.
Conley is currently serving a nine-year jail term for their manslaughters but will be eligible for parole within months.
The current inquest is examining the lead-up into the girls’ deaths, including the responses from the Queensland Police Service (QPS), Metro South Health and Child Safety.
On Friday, Mr Hamlyn-Harris read out a statement previously given by a witness in the proceedings while psychiatrist Dr Allan Pascoe was giving evidence.
Dr Pascoe spoke at length of the impacts of methylamphetamine use – including its impact on cognition, memory, information processing, among others.
Mr Hamlyn-Harris quoted a witness statement that spoke about how the drug ice could be purchased in 35g lots.
“A half-serve is 17.5g and costs $450,” Mr Hamlyn-Harris read from the statement.
He continued: “Kerri-Ann is affording it by buying a whole point at $450, and she would break it into smaller points.”
“Smaller points cost $50 each and a person can do between one and four points a day. Usually a person will start off slowly with one point, but by the fourth day they are usually on four points, to get the same high as the previous one point.”
Dr Pascoe said that level of use indicated a “building of tolerance” over time, needing a higher amount to get the same physiological effect.
Mr Hamlyn-Harris continued reading from the statement: “At the moment Kerri-Ann is using $200 a day, but is still selling the remaining few points so she’s making enough to get her drugs for free.”
Evidence had already been given at the inquest that Conley was “on the nod” – dozing off at times which witnesses suggested was a consequence of her methamphetamine use.
One witness said Conley had “dozed off” while driving her car.
“Once the acute intoxication effects wear off, people can enter into a crash phase where they have intense fatigue and sleepiness,” Dr Pascoe explained
He said prolonged and heavy use of methamphetamine increased the addiction, either to stave off withdrawal effects or normalise the brain’s reaction to the drug.
A social worker – who cannot be identified – also gave evidence of a report being received about Conley’s “absences” at the hospital after giving birth to Darcey-Helen in May 2017.
That report made no mention of her drug use.
While an intervention with parental agreement (IPA) plan was started over the concerns raised by hospital staff the court was told this was ended by Conley due to her “failure to engage”.
The inquest continues.