Former Block star Suzi Taylor has walked free from court with a $500 fine following a sudden turn in a scheduled hearing at a Queensland court.
The former contestant on the 2015 season of the reality TV show was facing several police charges, including possessing dangerous drugs, alleged to have stemmed from an incident in Southport last year.
She was due to face a hearing at Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday over a single count of possessing tainted property – alleged to be a trauma kit – but police offered no evidence on the charge.
It was withdrawn and dismissed.
Taylor pleaded guilty to the remaining charges of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing drug property and breaching bail.
Former Block star Suzi Taylor (left, with her lawyer) has walked free from court with a $500 fine following a sudden turn in a scheduled hearing at a Queensland court
Outside court, Taylor’s defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said she hoped to ‘restart her life’ now that her matters had been finalised.
‘She’s had a successful career in the past and hopes to regain that,’Â he said.
‘She’s very hopeful she can re-establish her relationship with her children and is pleased with all of these matters.’
The court was told a search warrant was conducted at a Southport address Taylor was residing at on November 11 last year.
The former contestant on the 2015 season was facing several police charges, including possessing dangerous drugs, alleged to have stemmed from an incident in Southport last year
Outside court, Taylor’s defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said she hoped to ‘restart her life’ now and is ‘hopeful she can re-establish her relationship with her children’
Officers located a small 3.9g bag of methylamphetamine on her bedside table and another 2.5g bag of cocaine.
A small amount of marijuana and a glass pipe used to smoke the drug ice was also found.
Taylor also breached her bail conditions on several occasions, including failing to report and reside at her home.
She told police said she was effectively homeless at the time and was unaware she needed to inform police to change her address.
Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said his client had suffered ‘significant humiliation’ after being filmed by A Current Affair getting into a physical confrontation with a woman in Brisbane in early 2020.
‘She has suffered a significant downturn to her mental health,’ he said.
Taylor rose to fame as a contestant on The Block in 2015 with then-friend Yvonne Cosier (right)
The court was told a ‘cooperative’ Taylor was sharing a room with someone who was known to use illicit drugs at the time the search warrant was executed.
‘The warrant was targeting that particular man,’ Mr Gatenby said.
The court was told Taylor had plans to house-sit for a friend in Avalon Beach in NSW’s Northern Beaches.
Mr Gatenby said his client also planned to find employment in Sydney upon relocating there.
Taylor dabbed at her eyes as magistrate Sarah Thompson convicted and fined her $500.
She took Taylor’s mental health issues into account and her attempts to move away from the negative influences of living on the Gold Coast.
Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said his client had suffered ‘significant humiliation’ after being filmed by A Current Affair getting into a physical confrontation with a woman in Brisbane in early 2020. (Taylor is pictured outside Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 6, 2021)
Taylor once claimed to have been in a short-lived relationship with Nine star Richard Wilkins
‘Hopefully with those protective factors, you will get some stability in your life,’ Magistrate Thompson said.
The latest sentence is part of a bumpy few years for the troubled former reality TV star, who has been in and out of the courts on various petty offences.
In April 2021, Taylor stood trial on charges of extortion, deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm, fraud and attempted fraud stemming from an alleged escort date gone wrong.
Police had alleged Taylor and another man, Ali Ebrahimi, had tied up and assaulted a man who had got in touch with Taylor through a dating app.
The pair were found not guilty on all charges.
A month later, Taylor was convicted but not further punished on a raft of charges, including possessing small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, drink driving, trespassing and multiple breaches of bail.
Taylor has had bumpy few years, finding herself in and out of court on various petty offences
