Duo jailed for trafficking 114g of meth from Perth to Kalgoorlie-Boulder by hiding it in car door frame

A former couple has been jailed for trafficking almost 115g of meth from Perth to Kalgoorlie-Boulder by hiding it in the door frame of their car. Tristan Charles Clarke, 36, and Bree-Anne Patricia Olivia Simpson, 33, pleaded guilty to possessing the trafficable amount of meth with intent to sell or supply and were sentenced in Perth District Court on August 29. The couple — who have since split up — were travelling in a convoy of two cars on February 2, 2024, after picking up meth in Perth to bring back to town. Police pulled over both cars and conducted a search, revealing 0.5g and 1.25g of meth, as well as scales, three phones, cash and clip-seal bags. The cars were seized, and a further 114.59g of meth was found by police in a camera bag and packages wrapped in electrical tape hidden in the passenger door frame of one of the cars during a further search on February 5, 2024. The packages of meth ranged in purity from 78 per cent to 80 per cent. Police placed decoy packages back into the door frame alongside listening and optical devices and released the car back to the couple. The pair returned to their home address and Clarke almost immediately began collecting the packages from behind the door panel, prompting police to arrest them. Sentencing remarks from each of their lawyers were made on July 28, with judge Mark Ritter handing down his sentence on August 29. Judge Ritter said their sale of drugs was to spend on usual household items and not for “high or extravagant living”, which would have made the offence more serious. Character references were provided to the court for both Clarke and Simpson and they each wrote a letter to the judge. “You’ve both demonstrated insight into the wrongfulness of your conduct, you’ve expressed remorse, you’ve taken actions to address the causes of your offending, you’ve both expressed a genuine desire to continue with the work that you have done in prison to date on your rehabilitation, and have plans for the future in terms of what you will do and not to reoffend,” he said. “There are a number of factors that indicate that you have a stability in your life now and in the future, and they include your positive aims for the future and the support of your families. “The evidence before me suggests that you have good prospects of successfully continuing with your rehabilitation.” Clarke — who had a more significant criminal history than Simpson — was jailed for five years, backdated to February 14, 2024, and Simpson was jailed for four years and six months, backdated to March 12, 2024.