Former teacher sentenced for meth dealing in Dunedin

A former teacher turned meth dealer hit "rock bottom" when she was found with a cut-down rifle, her lawyer says.

Falen Alaina Reedy, 36, ended up spending two months in prison on a range of drug charges which counsel John Westgate said marked nearly two wasted years.

"Her life, because of methamphetamine, was just in complete chaos," he said.

However, she appeared before the Dunedin District Court yesterday a different person.

Mr Westgate described the change as "dramatic".

The court heard Reedy — who attended by video link — was now undertaking a highly demanding residential rehabilitation programme, and thriving.

Almost a year earlier, her life had been in freefall.

Police were called to a Dunedin motel in January after reports of a male looking into vehicles in a car park.

They found Reedy sitting in the front passenger seat of a Mazda nearby and noticed drug paraphernalia in the open glove box while talking to her.

An impromptu search of the vehicle found a loaded .22 calibre rifle with the handle cut down to a pistol grip, wrapped in a bandana.

Reedy said the weapon was hers and she needed it for "protection".

That was a serious concern, Judge Jim Large said.

"Loaded firearms in the possession of people who have drugs create difficulties in any number of ways for the community and offender," he said.

"It may be the firearm was necessary for your protection but if you'd been challenged, sadly, you may well have used it. Fortunately, that did not come to pass."

The situation got worse for Reedy when police analysed her phone.

In the two months at the end of 2020, they found she had made 22 offers to sell the class A drug to nine customers.

The total street value of the meth offered was more than $20,000, Judge Large said.

He noted how Reedy had been a respected teacher but, sparked by a personal tragedy, became "ravaged by methamphetamine".

"I do see people up and down the country who have become addicted to meth and it's really sad. I don't know quite what we're going to do about that ... but what you've done is impressive," he said.

Reedy was sentenced to nine months' home detention and ordered to complete the 16-week programme she was undertaking.