Ivy May Gray in Taree court for Old Bar drink drive speed with cocaine charges

While dealing with a woman caught speeding, drunk with cocaine in her system, a NSW magistrate has questioned the ability of police to find cocaine when “every Aboriginal person” living in a local mission area “seems to get done for cannabis”.

Ivy May Gray told police she was returning from McDonald’s when she was picked up speeding in the early hours of January 20.

While dealing with a woman caught speeding and over the limit with cocaine in her system, a Taree magistrate has questioned the ability of local police to even find the drug, when “every Aboriginal person in Cabarita seems to get done for cannabis”.

Magistrate Allison Hawkins made the reference to the Cabarita “mission” area at Forster when dealing with the matter of Ivy May Gray who pleaded guilty to a range of offences including high range drink driving with an illicit drug in her system.

After the cocaine/cannabis comparison Ms Hawkins said she would “get off her hobby horse” and return to the matter at hand.

The 18-year-old office manager from Taree also pleaded guilty to speeding more than 20km/h over the limit and driving without a licence.

Gray was detected speeding by police who were patrolling along Old Bar Road in the vicinity of Pampoolah just before 1am on Saturday January 20 in a silver Ford Falcon.

Ivy May Gray leaves Taree Local Court on May 28, 2024 after pleading guilty to various driving offences.

According to police she was clocked at 115km/hour in the 90km zone for the duration of a three-second check and when pulled over had slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet with bloodshot eyes.

Gray was also fully aware her licence had been suspended according to police documents.

When tested, her blood alcohol reading was 0.172.

She told police she was driving her friend back from McDonald’s and had drunk three glasses of vodka and pineapple juice at the Old Bar Tavern between 6pm and 11.30pm on January 19.

In relation to the cocaine she said “I had some a couple of days ago at the tavern in Taree”.

Gray’s licence was suspended immediately and her matter adjourned in the Taree Local Court for sentencing on June 18.

NSW Police have been contacted for comment in relation to their ability to detect cocaine in the area.

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