Erica Frances Johnston, 60, of Cripps Place, Kelso, was sentenced in Bathurst Local Court on March 13, 2024 after she pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited drug.

Police documents before the court said police were patrolling the Kelso area at about 10am on November 16, 2023 when they saw Johnston walking along Bonnor Street.

Johnston was stopped and told she would be searched so she turned around and started to play with her phone, police said.

"I just found some 'ice' in the gutter and I picked it up," Johnston said, according to the police documents.

The bag of methamphetamine, which Johnston had in her phone case, was seized and taken to Bathurst Police Station, where it was found to weigh 0.42 grams.

Johnston was given a court attendance notice.

ABORIGINAL Legal Service solicitor Georgia Lundie told the court her client maintained her story, and said it was a "low" amount of meth.

The grandmother of 20 with "very strong anti-crime attitudes" did not have a drug problem, Ms Lundie said.

"Finding 'ice' in a gutter ... someone was either very careless or very lucky or unlucky," Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis said.

Johnston was convicted and fined $400.