MISGUIDED MOTHER SOLD DRUGS TO HELP SON

A naive mother became a heroin dealer in a desperate bid to help her
drug-addicted son, the District Court has been told.

After succumbing to her son's pleas by buying heroin for him, Pamela Dawn
Whitfield, 46, was caught up in a big drug trafficking operation which saw
Federal agents arrest an alleged top-level dealer.

She was caught after flying out of Australia with about $10,000 which she
was to hand over to a man in South Africa.

Whitfield, a laundry worker, walked free yesterday after Judge Peter
Williams said that she was misguided in her efforts to help her son. It was
only her naivete and lack of sophistication that kept her out of jail.

Judge Williams sentenced Whitfield to two years jail but suspended the
sentence for two years.

Whitfield pleaded guilty to failing to report the transfer of about $10,000
out of Australia, making two or more unreported cash transactions and
possession of heroin with intent to sell or supply.

Commonwealth prosecutor Paul Usher told the court that Whitfield's
involvement with the drug trade began when she bought heroin for her
20-year-old son, Peter, who was a long-term addict.

She became acquainted with his drug dealer, a man called Daniel, and agreed
to perform jobs for him.

In May, Whitfield exchanged a total of $15,000 into US currency at three
different banks on St Georges Terrace, said Mr Usher. She later flew to
Johannesburg and handed over three bundles of US money to an unidentified
man.

Mr Usher said Whitfield, a mother of three, had also supplied heroin to a
friend of her son at a Belmont cinema.

Defence lawyer Sheila Amsden submitted that Whitfield had succumbed to her
son's pleas and bought heroin from his drug dealer, Daniel, also known as
Precious Festus, who was a major drug distributor in Australia.

She had committed the offences after exhausting the possibilities of
breaking her son's addiction, including getting him on the naltrexone
program.

Ms Amsden said Whitfield, who had no previous convictions, was naive and
had used up much of her financial assets in supporting her son's heroin
habit.