Great-grandmother Pam Bickerton allowed a child visiting her home to bake muffins using her cannabis butter, court heard

A drowsy great-granny allowed a teenager visiting her home to bake muffins with her cannabis butter – and the child took the space cakes to school to share, a court has heard.

A great grandmother made cannabis butter then allowed a young teenager to bake muffins which the child then took to school to share with friends, a court has heard.

Pam Annette Bickerton, 74, of Mount Barker, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court after earlier pleading guilty to one count of supplying or administering a controlled drug to a child – a charge which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The court heard Bickerton had made the cannabis butter to help with a sleeping condition but then allowed a teen who was visiting her home to use it for baking, on condition they cleaned the kitchen afterwards.

Pam Bickerton, 74, has appeared on court charged with supplying or administering a controlled drug to a child. Picture: supplied

Konstantina Toubanakis, prosecuting, told the court the teen then took the baked products – which were described as cakes or muffins – to school to share with friends.

“The defendant has supplied the substances, namely cannabis butter by allowing or at least giving permission for (the child) to use them,” she said.

She said the maximum penalty of life in prison was indicative of the seriousness of the charge and asked the court to impose a suspended or home detention sentence.

Bickerton’s case is being finalised at the magistrates court level which means she faces a maximum penalty of five years’ jail

Bickerton’s lawyer told the court his client suffered sleep apnoea and had been asleep when the child woke her and asked to bake with the butter.

“Still in a state of tiredness and unfortunately … she said ‘go for it’ – just make sure that you clean up afterwards,” he said.

He said Bickerton went back to sleep and “in a significant lapse of judgment thought nothing more of it” because her kitchen was clean when she woke.

He urged the court to consider imposing a suspended sentence due to her age and prior good character.

The court heard Bickerton was “extremely remorseful” and felt “very disappointed in herself” when she discovered the child had taken the baked products to school.

It also heard Bickerton was “much more careful now” and no longer kept cannabis in her home.

The court heard Bickerton, a grandmother and great grandmother, had lost her left hand due to cancer and received a disability pension.

Magistrate Justin Wickens said it was “somewhat concerning in her record of interview that she knew the child would take the baked product and supply it to friends and that makes things a little bit more serious”.

“It being serious enough that she’s letting a minor use that for baking,” he said.

“As it turns out it went to school which is unfortunate but that’s not something that was in your client’s mind at the time.”

He will sentence Bickerton in May.