An Adelaide woman convicted over a multi-million-dollar drug syndicate has been spared jail, with a District Court judge saying she is "essentially a decent person".
Petra Camm, 40, was convicted of six counts of money laundering after pleading guilty during her trial back in April.
The court heard Camm collected six packages containing money from a post office in Adelaide's inner-west, between November 2012 and January 2013.
The more than $400,000 of cash was connected to a syndicate which sent 1,200 kilograms of cannabis valued at more than $7 million from Adelaide to Queensland and Western Australia.
Judge Steven Millsteed said Camm, a Czech national, would likely be deported from Australia if she was jailed for 12 months or more and lose custody of her two young children.
"I am satisfied that deportation would cause not only exceptional hardship to you, but also to your children," Judge Milsteed said.
"It is reasonable to infer that the effect of deportation would be both emotionally and psychologically crushing."
The court heard Camm's husband was a former drug addict and poorly suited to caring for the children without their mother.
"There is a real risk you will be separated from your children — they are both Australian citizens who speak only English," Judge Millstead said.
He suspended an 11-month jail sentence and imposed a $1,000 good behaviour bond.
"I believe you are essentially a decent person and the courts won't see you again," he said.
Camm cried during sentencing
The registered nurse cried in the dock as Judge Millsteed spoke of her as someone of previous good character.
"It is very sad to see a woman who has been an industrious, hardworking person and a very good mother come before the courts at your age," he said.
The drug syndicate leader, Strang Storm, was a friend of Camm's husband and arranged for female partners of his associates to collect packages from post offices.
Strang was jailed for at least six years back in 2015, while a former SANFL player and Channel Nine presenter, Clayton Lush, was another person convicted over the syndicate.
The court heard police intercepted the packages at the post office, photographed the money inside and reassembled them before Camm arrived to make her collection.
At the time of her arrest, she lied about the nature of her relationship with Strang and denied any knowledge of the matters police were investigating.
Camm sprinted past waiting media outside the court after leaving today's hearing.
