PILLS, powder and 'bupe' strips fell from a woman's underwear as she was strip searched in a jail cell, a court has heard.
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Jade Lee Miskell-Scott, 26, of Bryant Street, Bathurst was sentenced in Bathurst Local Court on January 30, 2024 after she previously pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing a prohibited drug.
Documents tendered to the court state Miskell-Scott was subject to a strip search by corrective officers while in a cell at Bathurst jail about 10am on October 18, 2023, after they got intelligence from a body scan.
Miskell-Scott, who was wearing two pairs of underwear, was removing the outer pair when a number of packages fell out.
Court papers say there was a packet of pills, a bag of white crystal substance, a bag of white powder, and a cling-wrap package with nine strips of Suboxone.
"I know what's in them," she said before declaring they were 'zanies' (Xanax) and 'bupe' (buprenorphine).
Miskell-Scott was handcuffed and taken to an interview room, where she said the other two packages were 'ice' and cocaine.
She was then spoken to by police about 2.45pm the same day.
Sentence
Miskell-Scott was taken to Bathurst Correctional Centre after her bail had been revoked, according to Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor Georgia Lundie.
When beginning her submissions, Ms Lundie said there was context missing from the court papers.
"She was placed in a cell with a cellmate, who had an array of drugs on her bed ... She was offered sleeping pills," Ms Lundie said.
"Ms Miskell-Scott and the cellmate stashed the drugs down their underwear when ocrrectives officers wanted to search her."
The court heard through Ms Lundie that Miskell-Scott's "blasé" attitude towards drugs was established through her early exposure to substance use.
Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis was met with frustration when dealing with Miskell-Scott, who had been "given so many options to change her life" by the court but had rejected them.
"No one can help you except yourself, you're too busy blaming others," Ms Ellis said.
"It seems you are entrenched with drug use that you enjoy and have no intention of quitting."
Miskell-Scott was offered one last chance and was placed on an intensive correction order for 12 months, instead of full time jail.
As a condition of the order, she must not have any alcohol or drugs not prescribed by a doctor.
"If you keep breaking the law, I'm warning you - it won't be difficult to determine you go to jail," Ms Ellis said.
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
