Geelong woman Amanda Dower caught with ice in bra

A Geelong mother who stashed drugs in her bra when police pulled her over came close to a jail stint.

Amanda Dower was caught in possession of methamphetamine. Picture: Facebook.

A Geelong woman who stashed drugs in her bra when she spotted police has been given a final chance to turn her life around.

Amanda Dower, 30, caught the attention of police in November 2018 when she was found to have hid $300 worth of methamphetamine in her bra when police intercepted a car she was a passenger in.

She told officers at the time that the driver, and her then-boyfriend, had “shat himself” when he saw police and told her to hide the drugs.

Dower pleaded guilty at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday to possessing the drugs of dependence, along with charges of theft and unlawful possession of someone else’s stolen credit card.

In December 2021, Dower and a co-accused woman broke into a car in Torquay and took personal belongings, including the bank card.

The two then drove to a 7/11 where the co-accused bought drinks and cigarettes before allowing Dower to buy an iced coffee.

They then drove to Belmont where Dower used the stolen card to buy cigarettes for more than $60.

Dower tried to use the card again at Kmart, but it had been cancelled.

Amanda Dower bought $60 worth of cigarettes using the victim’s credit card. Picture: Facebook.

Dower, who has a long history of failing to turn up to court, was 45 minutes late to Monday’s hearing and was told by Magistrate Simon Guthrie that she risked being taken into custody.

“You don’t seem to take anything too seriously,” he said.

“I was going to invite you to go behind that door.”

Her barrister, Damon Hunter, told the court Dower was afraid she would be going to jail after the credit card offending and had broken off relationships with negative influences and stopped using drugs.

Mr Hunter added that at the time, Dower had unstable housing and was “hanging around with the wrong crowd”.

He said Dower has since moved away from Norlane and was “no longer hanging around with people who were essentially a bad influence and who she allowed herself to be influenced by”.

“While Dower is not a young offender … she’s still a young woman with excellent prospects of rehabilitation,” Mr Hunter said.

Mr Guthrie said Dower was correct to fear a jail sentence, but noted she has “taken steps to address your issues”.

Dower was not convicted but was placed on an adjourned undertaking for 18 months, meaning she cannot reoffend in that time or risk a re-sentence.

Dower was also told to pay $500 into the court fund.

Originally published as Geelong woman Amanda Dower caught with ice in bra