Dance teacher sentenced after offering cocaine to teen in Gold Coast pub
Middelbosch could be seen in the video dipping her finger in a clip-seal bag and discussing the effects of cocaine, the court heard.
She told the teen to tilt her head back and put her nail under the girl’s nose to allow her to sniff the cocaine.
Middelbosch told the victim’s friend to delete the video as it could “ruin her career and she could lose her green card”, Theunissen said.
The victim was again offered cocaine when their car broke down after leaving the pub.
Middelbosch put some of the cocaine on her finger and told the teen to push her top lip up, using her finger to rub the drug into the girl’s gums.
That the dance teacher would twice ask for the toilet video to be deleted showed that she was fully aware of the seriousness and potential consequences of her actions, Theunissen said.
“It was a severe breach of trust … the victim has a sense of betrayal,” he said.
But Middelbosch should be spared time in custody as she had no prior criminal record and had lost the career she had wholly dedicated herself to, the court was told.
“She has been publicly shamed … her whole life has changed as a result,” defence barrister Anthony Kimmins said.
Cooper said he was concerned Middelbosch had not expressed remorse but her punishment from outside the court was a significant factor in sentencing.
“You are not a regular user of cocaine … you possess no other qualifications. You have been unemployed for some time now,” he said.
Middelbosch was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended, and declined to comment as she left court.
AAP
