Secret Garden festival goers face court after drug charges

Seven festival revellers fronted Picton Local Court today to answer drug possession charges from the final Secret Garden Festival.

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Seven festival revellers fronted Picton Local Court today to answer drug possession charges from the final Secret Garden Festival.

The popular festival, held annually at Brownlow Hill near Camden saw multiple people charged by police for possession of drugs at its final festival in February.

Magistrate Ian Cheetham frustrations mounted across the day, frequently expressing disbelief at the poor choices of the young people in front of him.

Police had a strong presence at this year’s Secret Garden Festival. Picture: David Swift.

The charges included possession of drugs such as ketamine, MDMA and ecstasy.

Magistrate Cheetham told Angus Doag, 21, from Haberfield he couldn’t fathom what he was thinking by purchasing ketamine at the music festival.

“If someone said to you to go to a music festival and take poison, you would say no,” he said.

“The publicity in recent times has been overwhelming. Four or five lives were lost in 2018 from people at music festivals.

“It is difficult to over-emphasise the seriousness of what you have done, for an intelligent person to pay $50 to buy horse tranquilliser. Lacks any form of common sense as far as I am concerned.”

Tarina Cunha, 25, visiting Australia on a student visa, pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA tablets with the agreed police facts revealing she had secreted the drugs internally.

“During the search the accused removed a condom from her vagina which contained eight small wrapped pieces of paper — within the paper was MDMA/ecstasy.”

Magistrate Guy noted her education endeavours but could not excuse her choices.

“(You) made the decision that you could not enjoy this concert without consuming some form of illegal drug,” he said.

“You are an intelligent person. You have studied overseas.

“You are prepared to put everything you have done over a long period of time at risk for the sake of consuming a small quantity of illegal drugs.”

Three people pleaded guilty to possession of ketamine, a drug ordinarily used as a horse tranquilliser by vets.

Juanita Sammut, 19, pleaded guilty to possession of the drug and was given a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Magistrate Cheetham warned Miss Sammut about the dangers of taking the powerful drug.

“Knowing that five people died last year taking drugs at festivals, why would you buy them?,” he said.

“You have no idea what’s in them and someone who wants to make $200 out of you; tells you it’s ketamine.

Juanita Sammut was given a good behaviour bond for possession of ketamine.

“The community is alarmed about the prevalence of drug taking at music festivals.

“The police have done you a favour and stopped you from doing harm to yourself.”

All seven people escaped conviction and were placed on community correction orders.