Record drugs bust at popular Mountain Sounds music festival
IT IS billed as a drug-free festival but clearly some revellers did not get the memo as illegal substances continue to dog the growing popularity of Mountain Sounds.
Central Coast
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FIFTY people were caught with drugs, one had 98 ecstasy pills, and a 21-year-old man punched and spat on a male and female police officer at the weekend’s Mountain Sounds Festival.
And police were still pleased with the overall behaviour of revellers and campers at the two-day, three-night festival.
Sergeant Bruce Coates said three drug detection dogs were used throughout Friday and Saturday with 50 people being given court attendance notices after allegedly being caught with prohibited drugs, mainly cannabis and ecstasy.
Sgt Coates said one man was also charged with supplying a prohibited drug after police allegedly caught him with 98 ecstasy tablets.
On Saturday afternoon a female police officer suffered bruising to her mouth after she and a male colleague were allegedly punched and spat on by a 21-year-old man from Lisarow.
Sgt Coates said the man was arrested and taken to Gosford Police Station where he was later charged with two counts of assaulting police, resisting arrest, offensive behaviour, failing to leave a licensed premises and malicious damage after breaking something in the custody cells.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Gosford Local Court on March 6.
Meanwhile a motorist was charged with high range drink-driving leaving the festival on Saturday night.
An Ambulance NSW spokesman said paramedics were called three times to the festival at Mount Penang Parklands with a man in his 20s suffering some kind of respiratory distress.
He declined to be taken to hospital.
Meanwhile a woman, also in her 20s, was taken to Gosford Hospital suffering an ankle injury after a fall, while a 22-year-old woman was conveyed to hospital either heavily intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
Sgt Coates said despite the drugs charges, police were pleased with the behaviour of the overwhelming majority of festival goers with more than 8,000 people attending each day and about 4000 camping.
“We had no serious assaults or brawls,” he said.
It comes after 37 people were caught with illegal drugs at last year’s Mountain Sounds Festival where seven people were taken to hospital following overdoses.
Two people were also fined last year for failing to leave a licensed premises.
Kariong resident Amanda Hayhurst said enjoyed herself immensely at the festival but was disappointed how people walking home or to catch lifts were forced onto the road instead of using the Kariong pedestrian underpass.
“Can you please explain who thought it was a good idea to force people who were walking home from the festival on Friday and Saturday night that they walk along Kangoo Road, then along the Pacific Highway?” she posted on the festival’s Facebook page.
“You forced intoxicated people onto the road, completely in the way of motor vehicles which is just totally unacceptable.
“This is a great local festival, but it is appalling that the underpass (which was built for the purpose of people (mostly schoolchildren) not having to walk along the freeway) was not used. There is a footpath that runs from the Mt Penang parkland gardens right to this underpass!”
Mountain Sounds co-promoter Adam Masters said there were 49 people charged for possessing prohibited drugs — 28 on Friday and 21 on Saturday — which appeared to be more than last year.
But he said nearly twice as many people attended this year, with the event going across two days instead of one.
“As a percentage of people who attended this year’s (drug busts) were significantly lower than last year,” he said.
“We work closely with the Local Area Command.”
The weather also smiled on the event after scattered downpours put a dampener on last year’s festival.