Nichola Janette Sutton of Moor Street, appeared before Magisrate Philip Stewart in Parkes Local Court on February 18 charged with two counts of possess prohibited drug (methylamphetamine and cannabis leaf); possess prescribed restricted substance (buprenorphine); unlawfully bring anything into place of detention (uncapped syringe); unlawfully secrete thing (cannabis leaf and buprenorphine) for inmate to receive; and drive motor vehicle while licence suspended at Bathurst on July 7, 2018.

According to police facts tendered in court, Sutton attended Bathurst Correctional Centre around 12.50pm on Saturday, July 7, 2018, to visit her partner. 

Corrections staff approached her and asked if she had any items in her vehicle to declare to which she said she had an uncapped syringe next to the driver's seat.

Corrective officers conducted a search of the vehicle and located the syringe as well as a small resealable bag containing white powder.

Police were called and arrived a short time later. 

Officers informed Sutton she would be searched on the suspicion she was in possession of drugs.

She was taken to a private room where she declared to police she had two water balloons, one containing cannabis and one containing buprenorphine.

Sutton produced a small orange water balloon containing cannabis from under her left breast and  another small orange and yellow water balloon containing buprenorphine from under her right breast and handed them to police. A strip search produced no further items.

Sutton admitted she owned the syringe and had used it earlier that day and also that the white powder was ice for her personal use.

She also admitted she intended to give the cannabis and buprenorphine to her partner within the correctional centre during her visit as he suffers pain from medical issues.

Police conducted further checks and found Sutton to hold a Provisional P1 drivers licence with a suspended status due to demerit points loss. She stated she was not aware her licence was currently suspended.

In sentencing Sutton Magistrate Stewart said people are in prison for a reason. 

"The security of a prison is not to be undermined by people introducing drugs into the facility and there needs to be a general deterrent," he said.

Magistrate Stewart sentenced Sutton to 10 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of five months commencing on February 18.

He also placed her on a community corrections order for 15 months; ordered her to complete 100 hours of community service work; fined her $400 and disqualified her from driving for 12 months.

Sutton has lodged an appeal for all matters except her driving charge on the grounds of severity and will remain in custody until the matter is heard in Dubbo District Court on March 26. 

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