Lost Paradise: more festival drug takers face court
A jar of Nutella, roll-on deodorants, sunscreens and internally secreted in women’s private parts — the extreme lengths police say ticket holders went to smuggle drugs into the Lost Paradise festival have been revealed.
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- Lost Paradise: Festival drug users slammed by magistrate
- `This was a bad mistake’: magistrate slams festival drug supplier
A jar of Nutella, roll-on deodorants, sunscreens and internally secreted in women’s vaginas — the extreme lengths police say ticket holders went to smuggle drugs into the Lost Paradise festival have been revealed.
The second tranche of 50 people charged with smuggling drugs into the festival faced court last week where details of their alleged offending were revealed for the first time.
The court documents also revealed the incredible canine superpowers of police detection dogs which honed in on drugs hidden with multiple levels of concealment.
At Gosford Local Court, many opted to have their lawyers front court to enter a plea of guilty on their behalf and sought adjournments to the Downing Centre for sentence.
Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis said she hoped no one was “magistrate shopping” for lighter penalties.
“The community expects a strong message,” she said.
“I hope (they get) a strong message from the Downing Centre because they have their own festivals.”
Three people opted to adjourn their court matters with Max Timo Vegter, 19, of Terrigal, Courtney Anna Doddridge, 24, of North Epping and Phillip James Walker, 24, of Glendale entering no pleas.
Mr Vegter and Ms Doddridge were charged with possession after allegedly being caught with 10 capsules and 1.86g of MDMA respectively, while Mr Walker was charged with supplying a prohibited drug when he was allegedly stopped with 11.44g of the drug.
They will face court again on February 15 and 19.
Two women immediately lodged severity appeals after receiving a conviction on their permanent records.
Georgia Mackenzie Taylor, 19, of Frenchs Forest, was sitting with her boyfriend at the festival’s vehicle checking station on December 28 when police dog “Gilly” indicated to handlers the presence of drugs.
She confessed to having six MDMA capsules hidden in a suitcase.
Police located a Rexona ‘classic’ deodorant, removed the roll-on cap and found a small aluminium foil package “submerged within the deodorant liquid” containing six capsules of MDMA.
Roxanne Green-Little, 20, of Vaucluse, was charged with two counts of possession after police dog Gilly approached her.
She was taken to a designated searching area where she removed a condom containing 4g of MDMA and 4.07g of ketamine from her vagina.
Police patrolling the checking station noticed Erin Collette Gabriell Wilkie, 23, of Camperdown, appearing nervous and a male passenger with her looking like he was under the influence of drugs.
Police found a green Woolworths shopping bag in the car with a purple lid roll-on deodorant. Officers cut open the deodorant and found a condom inside containing a foil with five MDMA capsules.
She was adjourned to the Downing Centre for sentence on February 27.
Rachel Kathleen Walker, 22, of Glendale, was sitting in the passenger seat of a VW when police dog Gilly approached the car.
She was taken to the search area where she removed a tampon containing three capsules of MDMA from her vagina.
She was given a two-month conditional release order without conviction.
Summer Destiny Russell, 20, of North Bondi, initially denied having drugs on her when police dog Gilly sought her out but was later taken to the search tent where she removed a condom from her vagina with five MDMA capsules and 5.5g of cannabis
She was adjourned to the Downing Centre on February 26 for sentence.
Cain Charles Nelson, 21, of Putney, became extremely nervous and was “physically shaking” when police dog Gilly started sniffing around him.
Police searched his belongings and found a roll-on Nivea sunscreen with a condom inside it.
Inside the condom was a small resealable plastic bag with eight MDMA capsules wrapped up in coffee with cling film.
He was also adjourned to the Downing Centre for sentence on February 26.
Luke Robert Gibbs, 22, of Ryde, had the same idea.
He initially denied having drugs when he was approached by police dog Gilly but officers found a roll-on bottle of sunscreen, which felt “different”.
They opened it up and found eight capsules of MDMA wrapped up with coffee beans in cling wrap.
He was adjourned for sentence today in the Downing Centre.
Claudia Dragasevich, 20, of Queenscliff, denied having drugs but her shaking hands suggested otherwise and she was taken to the search tent where she stripped naked.
She asked police “if I tell you where the drugs are will I be able to stay at the concert?” before removing a condom from her vagina containing 12 capsules of MDMA and 3.8g of cannabis.
Ms Dragasevich was adjourned for sentence at the Downing Centre on March 1.
Hannah Louise Dowding, 23, of Frenchs Forrest, escaped without a conviction after she confessed upfront to police that she had three capsules of MDMA covered with cling wrap in a Nutella jar in her boot.
Kodi Carter, 19, of Macquarie Links, told officers he smoked weed the week before when police dog indicated to handlers the presence of drugs.
“The accused’s hands were shaking, sweaty and he was breathing heavily like he was stressed,” the police facts read.
At a designated search station he reached into the back of his underpants and produced a small package containing eight MDMA capsules and 4g of cannabis wrapped in gladwrap.
“I’m sorry, I panicked, this is my first festival,” he told officers.
He was adjourned to the Downing Centre on February 27.
Meanwhile Matthew Smith-Wildey, 18, of Chipping Norton, got the giggles when police dog “Zoran” approached him at the checking station.
“Aaaah, I smoked a couple of joints this morning,” he told police before he began laughing nervously.
Police asked if there was anything down his undies before he reached in and pulled out a clear resealable bag containing nine capsules of MDMA, 6.53g of cannabis and 3.92g of “psilocybin”, better known as magic mushrooms.
He was adjourned to Liverpool Local Court on February 19 for sentence.
Samuel Gregory Balzarolo, 18, of Northmead could not look officers in the eye when police dog “Lulu” approached the VW he was driving.
He initially denied possessing drugs but his voice was “shaky” and he kept looking at the centre console of his vehicle.
In the end he confessed and police found a small resealable bag secured with “gaffa tape” to the gear stick under the leather cover.
The bag contained 15 MDMA capsules, 6.9g cannabis and 3g of ketamine.
Police checked his phone and there was no sign he intended to supply the drugs so he was charged with three counts of possession.
He was convicted, fined $800 and put on a conditional release order for six months.
Elaine Augusto, 33, of Dee Why, was bailed up by a police dog at the checking station where she confessed to having 3g of LSD within a jar of hand cream.
She was adjourned for sentence on February 20 at Manly Local Court where a Portuguese interpreter was requested.
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