Footballer sacked, youth worker charged after 'last-minute' intel leads to drug drop police sting
Kelly Guthrie, 38, and Marcus Hole, 27, are facing commercial drug trafficking charges. (Supplied: Facebook)
In short:
Marcus Hole, 27, and Kelly Guthrie, 38, are charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs.
The pair were caught on security cameras picking up a package that was allegedly found to contain cocaine and MDMA.
What's next?
The court granted Ms Guthrie bail to care for her daughter while Mr Hole remains in custody facing extra charges of tampering with an ankle monitor.
A Victorian footballer has been sacked by his club and remains in police custody while a youth worker is out on bail after they were allegedly caught with more than $120,000 of cocaine and other drugs in a police sting on Tuesday.
Marcus Hole, 27, was denied bail and Kelly Guthrie, 38, was granted bail after separate Mildura Magistrate's Court hearings in the state's far north-west on Wednesday afternoon.
The court heard the pair were driving back to Mildura at 9pm on Monday after picking up a package in Sea Lake when police pulled them over in Ms Guthrie's hire car which she used for her work at Axis Employment.
Inside the package police found about 336 grams of cocaine in 11 vials, two vials measuring a total of 56 grams of MDMA and another vial of an unknown substance.
Police informant First Constable Jazmin Cook told the court the Mallee Divisional Response Unit received "last-minute" intelligence through CrimeStoppers that Mr Hole and Ms Guthrie would be involved in the drug drop.
The court heard Kelly Guthrie used cocaine regularly. (Facebook)
"I'm concerned that if she's [Guthrie] released on bail she will wipe her phone — the apps SnapChat, WhatsApp and Signal, which can be wiped remotely," Constable Cook told the court.
"When police seized her phone we could see unread notifications appearing for SnapChat."
The court heard Ms Guthrie also worked as a bartender and told police she used cocaine regularly and would buy her own eight balls.
An eight ball of cocaine is 3.5 grams, or an eighth of an ounce.
The court heard the pair met through the Red Cliffs Football Netball Club where Mr Hole was a senior footballer.
Police told the court that the pair refused to provide the access codes to their phones or unlock them.
The pair will return to the Mildura Magistrates' Court in late February. (ABC News: Wade Stephens)
Pair captured in alleged drug drop
The court heard Ms Guthrie's hire car was captured on security cameras pulling into the Ampol service station in Sea Lake with her at the wheel before Mr Hole got out and handed over money to a person in another car in return for the package.
The pair are charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of a drug of dependence.
Mr Hole is also facing charges of tampering with his electronic monitoring device on three occasions since being out on parole.
Magistrate Patrick Southey said Mr Hole's criminal history and serious charges failed to convince the court he should get bail.
He said Ms Guthrie, who is a single mother, showed exceptional circumstances as a first-time offender, the expected delay in the court case, and the need to care for her 15-year-old daughter.
Marcus Hole is also charged with tampering with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. (Facebook)
The arrest led to Red Cliffs Football Netball Club sacking Mr Hole on Wednesday afternoon, saying it was "aware of serious matters involving a contracted player".
"Following careful consideration the club has made the decision to terminate the player's contract, effective immediately, due to a breach of club expectations and values," a statement read.
Mr Hole played 15 games for Red Cliffs Football Netball Club this year, and the court heard that police had concerns about Ms Guthrie continuing to associate with club members.
"As this matter is subject to external processes the club will not be making any further comment," it said.
Constable Cook opposed bail for Ms Guthrie, telling the court she was concerned the accused would continue to associate with people involved in the Red Cliffs Football Netball Club and some of its club members.
The court heard Mr Hole and Ms Guthrie's phones and the vials of drugs would be sent to Melbourne for forensic analysis.
The pair will return to court on February 25.