Murderer Rebecca Massey caught with 108 times trafficable amount of a drug

A murderer found with 108 times the trafficable amount of a drug while she was on parole won’t go back to jail after being sentenced over the seizure.

In 2011, Rebecca Anne Massey, who also goes by the last name Edwards, was found guilty of murdering 43-year-old Elizabeth Booshand with a knife outside a takeaway shop in Charnwood in 2008.

She was sentenced to a total of 16 years’ jail with a non-parole period of 10 years and was released on parole in May 2020 before being taken back into custody about a year later.

Police had raided her home in Gowrie on 16 July 2021, finding her inside with four others, court documents say.

She appeared to be slurring her words and was unable to keep her eyes open until she fell asleep for a long period during the raid. The officers thought she had taken an intoxicating substance.

Police found four glass vials inside a bedside table that contained a clear liquid suspected to be gamma-hydroxybutyrate.

Corrective Services told police Massey had failed her last two drug tests and she was arrested for breaching her parole before being remanded in custody and had her parole revoked.

Police later confirmed the four vials contained about 54 grams of gamma-butyrolactone and examined her phone, which contained messages showing she had been dealing drugs to others.

Massey, 50, pleaded guilty to trafficking controlled drugs on the day she originally planned to fight her charge at a hearing before appearing in the ACT Magistrates Court for sentencing on Friday (28 September).

Magistrate Glenn Theakston said the trafficable quantity of the drug was half a gram, which meant she had about 108 times the trafficable amount.

She had admitted she was using some for herself as well as for trafficking.

The mother-of-two, whose son is currently in jail, had been granted parole again in August 2022, after which Magistrate Theakston said there had been a change in her.

She complied with parole, completed rehabilitation programs and returned several negative drug tests.

The magistrate said she had drug use issues and an extensive criminal history, including for murder, but thought that due to her significant progress, it would be counterproductive to send her back to jail.

She was convicted and sentenced to 21 months’ jail, fully suspended for a recognisance release order requiring her to be of good behaviour for that period.

This means she must be of good behaviour for an extra six months after her parole was to expire.