The sister of middle-class 'drug queen' Tess Rowlatt fled court in distress on Thursday after her hopes of a family reunion were quashed by a judge.
Rowlatt, 36, appeared before the Melbourne County Court after she pleaded guilty in March to trafficking meth and dealing with the proceeds of crime, seeking to be released from custody.
The convicted drug dealer had been hopeful of securing bail, but her boyfriend Timmy O'Dwyer abruptly ended Rowlatt's chances after telling the court the couple had previously used drugs together.
The defence submitted that O'Dwyer's rented one-bedroom apartment in St Kilda would be a suitable 'protective measure' address for Rowlatt to reside if granted bail.
Rowlatt's legal team put O'Dwyer in the box after the court heard the concreter had faced court five times for drug possession offences since 2022.
The court heard that O'Dwyer also took voluntary urine tests last week, which returned negative results on drug use.
'That demonstrates that he was clean last week. Well, that's good,' Judge Duncan Allen said.
Judge Allen also thumbed through pages of O'Dwyer's priors.
Tess Rowlatt last month pleaded guilty to trafficking meth and dealing with the proceeds of crime. Her hopes of getting bail were quashed at Melbourne County Court on Thursday
Rowlatt's influencer sister Victoria Rowlatt (pictured) looked distressed as she left the County Court after Tess was remanded in custody
Rowlatt's tattooed boyfriend Timmy O'Dwyer told the court they had used drugs together. In light of this, Judge Duncan Allen deemed O'Dwyer's St Kilda apartment unsuitable for Rowlatt
'Five times since 2022 for drug possession, he was either extended drug use or trafficking,' Judge Allen said.
Barrister Candice Jackson, for Rowlatt, submitted that O'Dwyer had never been charged with drug trafficking.
'[Drug use] is full on, isn't that right?' Judge Allen responded.
Judge Allen noted that O'Dwyer was arrested in July last year for allegedly taking illicit drugs into Melbourne Magistrates' Court.
O'Dwyer told the court that he and Rowlatt had been friends for a 'few years' but only entered a romantic relationship in mid-2025.
He said they saw each other almost daily and occasionally spent the night together.
'I was aware she was using drugs,' O'Dwyer told the court.
'Tess would sort of distance that from me... Tess would hide it from me, she would avoid trying to upset me.'
Rowlatt was a notorious Melbourne party girl before descending into criminal activity
O'Dwyer has multiple drug possession priors
O'Dwyer said he stopped using drugs the day after his 'last charge'.
'I've just naturally done it,' O'Dwyer said when asked if he had used any treatments to quit drugs.
O'Dwyer also said he would impose a strict 'no drugs' rule if Rowlatt were allowed to live at his apartment.
But O'Dwyer dropped a bombshell when he admitted he and Rowlatt had done drugs together.
'There was a time when we were using at the same time,' he said.
In light of this information, Judge Allen immediately deemed O'Dwyer's apartment unsuitable for Rowlatt.
'I could not release your client on bail [to live with O'Dwyer],' Judge Allen said.
'It's a shocking recipe. It's asking for disaster. [Rowlatt] will be set up for failure.'
The prosecution chose not to cross-examine O'Dwyer after his admissions in the witness box.
The court heard that a review had found Rowlatt was suitable for a monitored bail program
Judge Allen then abruptly adjourned the hearing after telling Rowlatt's defence team to come up with a suitable address for her to live if she were to secure bail at the next hearing.
The court heard a review had found Rowlatt suitable for a monitored bail program. Corrections Victoria assistant commissioner Megan McClelland also submitted a letter to the court.
Judge Allen's decision to adjourn the matter to July 7 was a body blow for Rowlatt's family and friends, who smiled and gave the drug trafficker hand gestures of good luck at the commencement of the plea.
Her sister, Victoria Rowlatt, a fledgling influencer who claims to have worked at Fox FM and Mediaweek, appeared despondent as she, O'Dwyer and other family members and supporters fled the court.
Victoria Rowlatt (pictured), a fledgling influencer who claims to have worked at Fox FM and Mediaweek, gave her sister a reference for court
Both sisters attended the prestigious Canterbury Girls' School - but while Victoria flaunts her glamorous lifestyle, party girl Rowlatt now sits behind bars.
Rowlatt, who appeared in person wearing a baggy suit, was nabbed by police in Melbourne high-rise district Southbank just before 1am on August 16 last year.
Cops had noticed a black BMW X5 that the court heard was registered to an individual with a firearm prohibition order and 'outlaw motorcycle gang affiliations'.
Police followed the BMW for a short distance then lit it up, at which stage it stopped and Rowlatt bolted from the vehicle.
Officers chose to let the vehicle drive off and instead chased down Rowlatt, who raced towards Southside Tower on Sturt St.
Rowlatt was caught with more than 100g of meth in her black handbag.
The court previously heard that Rowlatt (pictured in an old nightclub photo) had a 17-year history of drug abuse which began when she was 19
The former marketing high-flyer was also caught with 1,4‑butanediol - a commercial-grade solvent that converts into the party drug GHB when ingested - as well as $750 in cash and bank cards in other people's names.
Police hauled Rowlatt away for questioning before she was charged and remanded in the notorious Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
The court was not told the identity of the bikie who owned the BMW, or whether that person was behind the wheel at the time.
At the time of her latest arrest, Rowlatt was serving a four-year community correction order for prior trafficking offences - a sentence that had been handed down by Judge Allen in February 2024.
At the March hearing, there were suggestions that Rowlatt could either live with her parents on their Victorian farm or move in with O'Dwyer in St Kilda.
Judge Allen said he preferred the 'St Kilda option' - but this was before he was subsequently made aware of O'Dwyer's history with drugs.
Ms Jackson, for Rowlatt, assured the court at the last hearing that O'Dwyer did not use drugs nor was he using drugs in the months he was dating his girlfriend before her arrest.
At the time of her arrest, Rowlatt (left) was serving a four-year community correction order for prior trafficking offences - a sentence handed down by Judge Allen in February 2024
The court previously heard that Rowlatt had a 17-year history of drug abuse which began when she was 19.
Despite this, and her history as a prominent drug dealer in Melbourne, Corrections Victoria had earlier assessed Rowlatt as having a 'low risk of reoffending'.
It was also determined after her February 2024 sentencing that Rowlatt only required a single day of drug rehabilitation, which was completed within three months of commencing her longer-than-usual community correction order.
Further, Rowlatt was allowed to complete 400 hours of community service 'working from home'. The exact nature of the work wasn't revealed in court, but whatever Rowlatt did it ended up benefiting a kindergarten in Kyneton.
Judge Allen lambasted the 'system' for contributing to Rowlatt's latest troubles, after he had previously determined she was 'wholly rehabilitated'.
'Clearly, an abject failure [has occurred],' he said on March 26.
'I didn't expect for one second anyone would tell her we don't need to see you anymore [after three months on the community correction order].'
Rowlatt's 'significant prior' offending was her role running a major drug racket operated out of 16 Melbourne Airbnbs between July and October 2021
Experienced Crown prosecutor Matthew Cookson countered by telling the court that Rowlatt was 'entirely responsible' for her reoffending after she was previously given an 'exceptional opportunity of mercy'.
Judge Allen rejected Cookson's submission.
Rowlatt's 'significant prior' offending was her role running a major drug racket operated out of 16 Melbourne Airbnbs between July and October 2021.
Rowlatt served just 419 days in jail despite pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs.
Covert cops had secretly tracked Rowlatt and another suspected drug dealer during an investigation that lasted several months and involved hours of physical and electronic surveillance.
She was eventually arrested at her Upper West Side apartment on Spencer St on October 21, 2021.
Rowlatt initially faced more than 70 charges, including trafficking a large commercial quantity of meth and heroin and trafficking bute, known to be a deadly rave drug.
A Melbourne court previously heard allegations that Rowlatt shifted between 16 separate Airbnb properties, including the View Hotel St Kilda and Upper West Side in the city.
Police had alleged Rowlatt stayed at the properties for periods lasting between a night and a few days while she sold vast amounts of meth.
Rowlatt sold drugs at the short-stay properties which police alleged she secured using fake IDs.
The court also heard a prior allegation that Rowlatt made multiple drug deals, including a single transaction suspected to be worth $34,000.
Police uncovered the evidence after seizing several of Rowlatt's devices.
Rowlatt was remanded to appear in court on July 7
The glamorous party girl, who graduated from Monash University before holding sales roles in multiple marketing companies, is now locked away at Dame Phyllis Frost, where she has been for the past 222 days.
Her lawyers are seeking to use her time in prison lockdowns due to staff shortages as a mitigating factor for a shorter jail term.
Judge Allen has said he requires more evidence before deciding whether the conditions at the jail where Rowlatt is housed alongside mushroom killer Erin Patterson are enough to warrant a sentence reduction.
A Corrections Victoria employee also entered the witness box at the previous hearing to say that she saw Rowlatt on a weekly basis.
The support worker said she would be able to assist Rowlatt after her release, telling the court she 'seems more serious than she's ever been' in wanting to rehabilitate.
'She's quite middle-class, she's quite different to the average prisoner,' she said.
However, the support worker told the court that Rowlatt had previously lied to psychologists about her drug use and could not fully guarantee she could trust her honesty now.
Rowlatt was remanded to next appear on July 7.