According to police facts, Nichola Janette Sutton of Parkes attended the jail 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, and officers informed Sutton she would be searched on the suspicion she was in possession of drugs.

She was taken to a private room where 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.

She 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.

MAP: Where the offences were committed …

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.

Sutton appeared before Magistrate Philip Stewart in Parkes Local Court on Monday, charged with two counts of possess prohibited drug; possess prescribed restricted substance; unlawfully bring anything into place of detention; unlawfully secrete thing for inmate to receive; and drive motor vehicle while licence 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.