Glamorous influencer Kate Szepanowski said goodbye to her boyfriend Jordan Roman Brennan last Thursday after he was sentenced to 11 years in jail for trying to help a “greedy” cocaine smuggling plot.
The mother-of-two, 29, attended the Brisbane Supreme Court when Brennan was sentenced to just over a decade with a non-parole period of five and a half years after he and his friend Brendan John Sipple was found guilty of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of illegally imported drugs.
A jury returned guilty verdicts for both men on May 31 after deliberating for more than six hours following a brief trial.
The two friends were hired to find 48kg of high purity cocaine hidden in a shipping container.
Brennan and Sipple, 30, entered a cargo yard at the Port of Brisbane at 4.10am on June 12, 2020, after spotting a particular shipping container during their previous surveillance tours.
Judge Michael Copley said one or both men opened the panels of the container’s refrigeration unit expecting to find a substantial amount of cocaine.
“Your participation in this crime was due to your giving in to the temptation of greed,” Judge Copley said in handing down the sentence.
Glamorous influencer Kate Szepanowski, 29 (left), said goodbye to her boyfriend Jordan Roman Brennan, also 29 (right), last Thursday after he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Police had removed the cocaine four months earlier, after dock workers in Belgium found 42 rectangular packages hidden in the container.
Police had been tracking the men with listening devices and GPS as they drove a van from their homes on the Gold Coast to the Port of Brisbane several times in June 2020.
The jury heard audio from the van in which the men talked about a large payment and plans to bury the cocaine in a secluded bush.
The mother-of-two attended the Brisbane Supreme Court to see her boyfriend sentenced to just over a decade with a non-parole period of five and a half years.
The audio also captured the men celebrating when they found the container listening to the songs ‘Circles’ by Post Malone and ‘Survivor’ by Destiny’s Child.
Crown prosecutor Patrick Wilson said the men were determined to work as a key player in the illegal drug supply chain and had shown no remorse.
“It is clear that they were doing something to obtain a substantial financial reward in return for their involvement… they clearly knew that the drugs were going to be exploited commercially by others,” Mr Wilson said.
Defense lawyer Josh Underwood said Sipple had overcome a difficult childhood to start a business supplying subcontractors to the construction industry.
Brennan and Brendan John Sipple, who were hired to find 48kg of high-purity cocaine hidden in a shipping container, have been jailed for their “greed”.
Brennan and Sipple, 30, (pictured) faced the Brisbane Supreme Court last week to be sentenced on one count each of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of illegally imported drugs.
“He’s honest and hard-working … and this offense was out of character for him,” Underwood said.
Solicitor Mitchell Rawlings said Brennan was highly motivated to rehabilitate and had started a courier business.
“He had sporadic but worrying contacts with the authorities during his early life, but that has now subsided,” Mr Rawlings said.
Judge Copley said he had to impose a sentence that would deter the defendants and others from trying to make “easy money” from serious drug offences.
Brennan greeted and blew kisses to his partner Szepanowski, his family and supporters in court as he was returned to prison.
“Neither of them had any qualms about the effects this cocaine would have on the individual or the community,” Judge Copley said.
Sipple was sentenced to 12 years in prison with a non-parole period of six and a half years.
Brennan was sentenced to 11 years in prison with a non-parole period of five and a half years due to spending two years on remand.
He greeted and blew kisses to his partner Szepanowski, his family and his supporters in court when he was returned to prison.
Szepanowski was spotted just a few weeks ago attending court to support him while he applied lip gloss, having completely transformed her appearance from blonde to brunette.
Szepanowski is the sister of influencer Chloe Szepanowski, who in turn is a member of the Orval family through her relationship with YouTuber Mitch Orval.
Even though the Gold Coast beauty makes a living as an influencer, she took an extended break from social media while her boyfriend Brennan faced drug charges.
She was seen just a few weeks ago attending court to support him while he applied lip gloss, having completely transformed her appearance from blonde to brunette.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Szepanowski for comment.
