Woman is caught with drugs after police raid

A woman has been forced to pay £195 after she was caught during a police raid with the class B drug amphetamine.
Court hearing.Court hearing.
Court hearing.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Thursday, July 20, how Joanne Pickering, 35, of Harperhill Close, Grangewood, Chesterfield, was found with the drug after a police raid at a property on Rufford Close, Boythorpe, Chesterfield.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “Police executed a search warrant at Rufford Close and a number of people were present including Pickering who was searched and one gramme of amphetamine was recovered from her handbag.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She told police she had stayed at the property the previous night and it was a friend’s house and there was a male “bouncing off the wall” after taking amphetamine and he offered her the drug.

Pickering claimed to police that she refused to take the drug at first but the male insisted so she took it in the end. She also revealed to police that she uses heroin and had no interest in amphetamine.

She pleaded guilty to possessing amphetamine after the raid on July 12.

Defence solicitor Denny Lau said: “Miss Pickering was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She went to this place the night before and stayed the night.

Hide Ad

“This male was insisting on giving this substance to other people and she kept saying she did not need it and that she is not interested in amphetamine whatsoever.

Hide Ad

“Clearly, in her words to shut him up she took it and she placed it in her bag with the intention of chucking it away but unfortunately within a few hours police arrived and conducted a search and the drug was found.”

Magistrates fined Pickering £80 and ordered her to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs.