Kate Westrip: Asquith nurse sentenced over breaching bail

After being sprung supplying drugs and in possession of a knife, a young nurse from Sydney’s upper north shore has found herself back before court once again. Find out why.

Kate Westrip appeared before Hornsby Local Court.

A nurse caught with almost 300g of cannabis, 3.7g of a “white crystal matter” as well as valium tablets in her car has been sentenced for breaching bail, after she slept through curfew after a drinking session.

Asquith woman Kate Westrip, 21, appeared before Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday for the breach of bail. She had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon, four counts of drug possession, four counts of drug supply and possessing a prescribed restricted substance.

According to documents tendered to court, Westrip’s stash of drugs caught the attention of police in the early hours of September 15 when she was pulled over for a random breath test and told the police she had used cannabis.

“(Police were) also able to smell the aroma of cannabis emanating from the vehicle,” court documents state.

Police officers then asked Westrip if there was anything else in the car to which she replied: “there’s weed”.

Kate Westrip leaves Hornsby Local Court.

But throughout the car, police found 294.8g of suspected cannabis, 3.7g of a “white crystal matter” and three valium tablets.

They also spotted a black butterfly knife with a plated silver scorpion on both sides.

After taking Westrip to the police station, officers sized her phone which had messages from August where she had offered to supply cannabis and MDMA. She had also messaged an image of what appeared to be 6.71g of cannabis being weighed on a digital scale, court documents state.

Police then search her bedroom where they found a further 13.2 grams of meth, two grams of cannabis, two tablets of valium and four tablets of quetiapine.

On Wednesday, Hornsby Local Court heard Westrip had also breached the curfew condition of her bail just over a month after she was arrested by police.

Westrip’s lawyer told the court her client had breached the curfew on October 31 because she had visited a friend’s house and fell asleep on the couch after drinking.

When the 21-year-old woke up, she released it was past her curfew and started to drive home at 1:30am but was stopped by police who were patrolling Pennant Hills Rd, Thornleigh.

The court also heard a variation was made to Westrip’s bail on November 2, allowing her to travel to and from work after curfew because she was a night nurse.

Magistrate Michelle Goodwin said regardless of the bail’s variation, Westrip would still be in breach of the conditions because she was not in the area of her employment.

“Bail is not a joke,” Ms Goodwin said. “If you have a curfew, you have a curfew … if you want to spent Christmas in custody, I have no problem at all organising that for you.”

Westrip’s matter will return to court on February 13, 2023, for mention and a mental health application.