Eagleby cleaner Anna Patrice Nevins, 34, jailed for month following meth find

A single mother-of-two and domestic cleaner in the “grip” of a meth addiction could not believe she was being led into custody after a magistrate sentenced her to jail.

A shocked domestic cleaner and single mother told a court she had made no arrangements for care of her children after it became clear she would be leaving the court through the dock into custody.

On numerous suspended jail sentences Anna Patrice Nevins, 34, was at first stunned into silence and then pleaded with the court that she was ill prepared, after she was sentenced to one month “actual jail time”.

Appearing at Cleveland Magistrates Court this afternoon the Eagleby mother-of-two pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs, possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence and receiving tainted property.

As reality dawned on the defendant Magistrate Deborah Vasta said the woman had merely “stuck her head in the sand”.

With three suspended jail sentences activated Nevins was given a May 7 parole release date.

The court heard Anna Nevins had a long-term “on and off” addiction to methamphetamine. Generic image used. Picture: Supplied

The court heard Nevins worked as a cleaner for a real estate company and had been intercepted by police as a passenger in a vehicle at 2.30am at the Victoria Point 7-Eleven on February 7.

When officers searched her handbag a clipseal bag containing 2 grams of methamphetamine was discovered in addition to scales for measuring drugs and a licence belonging to another person.

The latter Nevins claimed to have found on the street.

The prosecution said the woman first admitted to the bag being hers, then claimed ignorance to the clipseal bag of ice it contained and then claimed to have haphazardly grabbed the handbag on the way out of her home.

The offending preceded an eight-page criminal history.

Nevins, according to the court, had previously been sentenced for entering premises, fraud, receiving tainted property, false declarations, dishonesty offending, driving while disqualified and drug offending.

Breached suspended jail sentences in October and December sealed her fate at today’s hearing.

It came after defence solicitor Stephanie Tsimos told the court her client was the sole carer of her two teens and had been an “on and off” ice user since she was 17.

Ms Tsimos said Nevins had participated in drug counselling but conceded she had also missed numerous appointments.

Magistrate Vasta was not swayed.

“I think this drug addiction has a grip on you,” Magistrate Vasta said.

“The order stands.”

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With three suspended jail sentences activated Nevins was sentenced to five months’ jail with a May 7 parole date.

She was also placed on a two-year probation order.