A woman who was caught with drugs on three separate occasions has been fined $1500.
Cassie Maree Young, 32, of Mooroopna, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to three counts of possessing GHB, three counts of possessing cannabis and possessing methamphetamines.
She also pleaded guilty to two counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail, possessing a prohibited weapon, failing to answer bail and driving while disqualified.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Caitlin McLeod told the court police found a set of knuckledusters on the back seat of Young’s car when they searched it after they smelt “a strong smell of cannabis” coming from it when she was pulled over in Shepparton on November 29, 2020.
Young told police at the time she had found the knuckledusters — a prohibited weapon — “on the ground”, Sen Constable McLeod said.
In a separate incident, about 3g of cannabis and three vials of GHB were found in Young’s car when she was pulled over by police in Mooroopna on February 16 last year.
The court heard Young was seen in a car in a Shepparton car park on April 5 last year where a passenger had “just had a hit” of drugs.
Cannabis and a vial of GHB were also found in the car.
She was also on bail at the time.
The court was told that in a separate incident, on April 21 last year, police saw Young throw a metal tin containing methamphetamine into a garden when they searched her car in Archer St, Shepparton.
A lip balm container with GHB in it was found in the car, while a bud of cannabis was found in her handbag.
The court heard on December 21 last year, Young was caught driving in Mooroopna while her driver’s licence was disqualified for drug driving.
She also failed to appear in court while on bail on November 15 last year.
Young’s solicitor Luke Slater told the court his client’s partner died a couple of years ago, which had “led to the downfall of her mental health and the start of her drug use”.
He also said Young had already completed a drug driver behaviour change program.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett said Young had been “well and truly in the grips of drug addiction” when the offences occurred.
She did, however, take into account Young’s lack of criminal history when fining her a total of $1500.