Antoinette Sarah Marie Collins in court on meth and explosives charges

When police stopped a Bundaberg mum for a routine traffic check and asked if she had anything she shouldn’t, the response wasn’t what they expected.

A routine check of a car on New Year’s Day revealed the shocking contents of one Bundaberg mother’s handbag.

Antoinette Sarah Marie Collins was pulled over on January 1 as she was leaving a closed service station in her hatchback on Walker St at 7.55pm.

Police Prosecutor Senior Sergeant Andrew Powis told Bundaberg Magistrates Court police then realised there was something in the car.

“The defendant was observed to be breathing heavily and nervous when asked general questions about her licence,” he said.

“When asked if there was anything unlawful in the vehicle, the defendant immediately looked at her handbag that was on the front passenger seat.”

Collins, 50, was detained for a search and told police she was the only person who used the car and that they would find something in her handbag.

Inside a small, rectangular container, officers found three clip-seal bags containing .95g of meth.

Collins admitted smoking it and knowing it was illegal.

Within the same container, police then found two meth pipes and inside the handbag, a bag containing a number of small firecrackers.

Collins told police the firecrackers were a gift from a friend to celebrate with on New Year’s Eve, but that she had not used them and had not realised they were illegal.

The court heard Collins was a mum who had worked a number of jobs including labouring, hospitality, retail and cinema work but was now on government benefits.

Defence lawyer Lavonda Maloy told the court her client’s drugs were for personal use.

Collins pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a dangerous drug, one count of possessing drug utensils and one count of possessing explosives without authority.

Magistrate Edwina Rowan placed Collins on a $600 recognisance bond which will hang over her head for nine months.

Convictions were not recorded.