Student Elaine Augusto busted smuggling LSD inside a jar of hand cream at Lost Paradise festival

A northern beaches woman has been sentenced after she tried to sneak the drug LSD into the Lost Paradise music festival after she hid it inside a jar of hand cream.

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A northern beaches woman tried to smuggle an illegal drug, hidden inside a jar of hand cream, into the Lost Paradise music festival, Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday.

Elaine Augusto, 33, of Dee Why, admitted to putting three grams of LSD inside a small resealable plastic bag then placing it into the jar.

Elaine Augusto walking out of Manly Court on Wednesday.

But the business student from Brazil, who is studying in Australia on a bridging visa, was arrested outside the festival in the Glenworth Valley, north of Sydney, on December 29 after a police drug detection dog searched her car.

Police found the jar of hand cream containing the drug in Augusto’s bag.

More than 180 people and 97 vehicles were searched during the festival’s police drug dog operation. A total of 50 people were charged with smuggling drugs into the Central Coast event.

Augusto pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a prohibited drug.

Her solicitor Luana Torres told the court that her client bought the psychedelic drug months before she was arrested.

The Lost Paradise music festival at Glenworth Valley in December 2018. Picture: Twitter.

Ms Torres said Augusto was not a frequent drug user and had purchased the LSD for her own use over the four-day festival.

“My client was in shock. It was the first time she had been arrested.

“She is 33 years old, and yes, she should have known better.”

Ms Torres told the court her client had no desire to take drugs again and that the detection of the LSD had been a “blessing in disguise”.

“She is extremely embarrassed about appearing before court today.”

Elaine Augusto leaves Manly Court on Wednesday.

Magistrate Christopher Longley told Augusto that she had run the risk of being jailed for up to two years.

“You join an extremely long list of youngish people who attended concerts … armed with these various substances in the mistaken belief you would enjoy the event more,” Mr Longley said.

The magistrate released Augusto on a Conditional Release Order that she be of good behaviour for six months. No conviction was recorded.

“Be warned Ms Augusto,” Mr Longley said as she left court.