Rene Cornford, 27, hoped to reduce on appeal in the County Court in Bendigo two sentences totalling six months’ imprisonment.

Cornford was first sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court to a community corrections order on 17 charges that included trafficking methamphetamine, driving while disqualified, driving an unregistered vehicle, handling stolen goods, possessing methamphetamine, and possessing a controlled weapon, among others.

But she later breached the community corrections order, committing 12 further offences that included possessing methamphetamine, possessing cartridge ammunition, possessing counterfeit money, driving unlicensed, and committing an indictable offence on bail.

For these later offences, Cornford was sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court to a four-month jail term and a fine of $400. The community corrections order was cancelled and she was re-sentenced for the first offences to a jail term of six months, to be served concurrently with the other sentence.

But Judge Michael McInerney this week said Cornford was “very lucky” to receive only six months’ imprisonment and probably should have received more than a year.

Cornford’s defence counsel Heather Cooper said her client was 18 weeks pregnant and had a very supportive father, who was a former police officer. Ms Cooper said she had been living with her father since her release from custody in December and was clean from drugs.

Ms Cooper referred Judge McInerney to a neuropsychological report, which detailed Cornford’s cognitive impairment.

Judge McInerney said drug use had contributed to her cognitive impairment, although Ms Cooper submitted it was expert opinion that strikes to her head was a factor, instead.

But Judge McInerney said there was nothing in the report to suggest Cornford did not know what she was doing, and noted it said she had the ability to make informed choices.

Ms Cooper said a term of custody would set Cornford back significantly.

Cornford had already experienced 30 days in custody, she said, which was distressing because it was early in her pregnancy and she had miscarriage scares.

Ms Cooper said she was seeking a deferral of sentence, to give Cornford the opportunity to prove she could “do the right thing”.

Judge McInerney said she was given a chance by the magistrate when she was put on the community corrections order, and abused it.

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