Cleaner Noeline McKinley in Gladstone court on drug charge

A Gladstone woman on two suspended sentences has narrowly avoided being sent to jail after she was busted with drugs in Rockhampton.

Noeline Joyce McKinley faced a Gladstone court after being busted with cannabis. Generic image.

A cleaner, who endured two brain operations after a vicious assault and an ongoing battle with drug and alcohol addiction, has narrowly avoided going to jail.

Noeline Joyce McKinley, 50, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on May 31 to possessing marijuana and public nuisance.

The court heard that McKinley’s offending happened in Rockhampton on April 9.

On that day, police were called to a Berserker house in relation to an incident.

The court heard when officers arrived, McKinley was standing in the front yard and swearing at a neighbour.

Police found McKinley in possession of 2g of marijuana.

McKinley had a four-page criminal history and at the time of committing these offences, she was on two suspended sentences for “unlike offending”.

Solicitor Pierre Lammersdorf said McKinley was a mother of five and a grandmother, who worked as a cleaner.

Mr Lammersdorf said McKinley had struggled with ongoing alcohol and drug abuse, and about seven years ago she was the victim of quite a vicious assault which led to her having two brain operations.

“Her last public nuisance (offence) was back in 2016 and her last drug conviction was in 2020,” Mr Lammersdorf said.

Acting Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined McKinley $850 and convictions were recorded.

In relation to the suspended sentences, Ms Buchanan extended the operational periods of both by three months.