A Lake Macquarie woman guilty of supplying a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine says she was coerced into participating in the drug trade by her allegedly abusive partner.
But the Crown prosecutor says recorded phone conversations captured as part of police surveillance showed that the 50-year-old was "shifting blame" before being sentenced.
Marife Farnham told Newcastle District Court on Wednesday her de facto partner Noel Bautista manipulated her into taking part in the methylamphetamine trade he was running, bringing the drug from Sydney to sell in the Newcastle area.
Ms Farnham said she had been a long-time meth user and she met Bautista when she started buying the drug from him more than 20 years ago.
She alleged in court that Bautista was controlling and physically violent towards her and said she "wasn't in the right state of mind to make the right decision" - she was often high on the drug.
"I regret not being strong to make the right decision," she said while giving evidence.
"All I was thinking was to have a smoke and be numb to what I was going through."
Bautista, who has two adult children with Ms Farnham, was jailed for a maximum of five years and 10 months over related charges in August.
The pair took a hire car or borrowed a vehicle to drive to Sydney multiple times a week to collect methylamphetamine to sell in the Hunter region while being monitored by police from October to December, 2021, when they were arrested.
During that period, the Windale couple supplied 649.4 grams of ice in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie communities - mainly to fund their own drug habits.
They both pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
The court heard on Wednesday Ms Farnham, who moved to Australia from the Philippines in 1995, would likely be deported after she served her sentence, making it difficult for her to maintain contact with her son who lives with a disability and requires care.
Crown prosecutor Brian Costello said Ms Farnham was "not being entirely truthful" and "has an interest in shifting blame" ahead of sentencing.
Mr Costello said phone calls intercepted by police showed that Ms Farnham was not being instructed or cooerced and that it was an equal partnership between her and Bautista.
Ms Farnham's defence barrister Jacob Tate said alleged coercive control was a prominent factor in his client becoming involved with Bautista's drug deals.
"She just didn't know how to leave," he said.
Ms Farnham remains on bail. Sentence proceedings before Judge Peter McGrath will continue on November 1.
Judge McGrath said there was a "very real possibility" she would be taken into custody on her next court date.
