Mother-of-six, Coral Lee Barrett, allegedly found with drugs strewn across Parramatta apartment floor weeps in court
Coral Lee Barrett — charged with a string of offences including: possessing forged prescription; possessing prescribed restricted substances; having goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen, and dealing with the proceeds of crime — wept in Parramatta Local Court on Friday after her bail was refused.
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A drug-addicted mother-of-six was allegedly found with a forged prescription and restricted drugs strewn in her apartment has been accused of breaking into a doctor’s surgery.
Coral Lee Barrett, 48, wept in Parramatta Local Court on Friday after her bail was refused. She has been charged with a string of offences including: possessing forged prescription; possessing prescribed restricted substances; having goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen, and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Police will allege Ms Barrett broke into a specialist doctor’s surgery on Hawkesbury Rd in Westmead in April 2018 before forging prescriptions to gain access to prescribed restricted substances between May 2019 and February 2020.
Following investigations, police searched Ms Barrett’s Parramatta home on Thursday where officers allegedly found prescribed restricted drugs, stolen medical supplies and forged prescriptions.
Weapons including an axe, knife and sickle as well as a cash register and bicycles were also found in her apartment.
Court documents allege she was found with 75 tablets of prohibited drug oxazepam and a forged prescription to the same drug in her apartment between 8.16am and 1.15pm on Thursday.
She was also allegedly found with a NSW pension and health care card that was not under her name which police suspect to have been stolen.
In court on Friday, Ms Barrett sat quietly in the dock while her criminal history was read out by police prosecutor Sam Kalimeris.
Mr Kalimeris told the court she has breached court orders and has a history of failing to appear which showed her “disregard for court orders”.
He said the prosecution had a “strong case” and opposed bail.
Ms Barrett’s Legal Aid lawyer Ms Lee said she would not dispute the prosecutor’s points and accepted the accused had a detailed criminal history.
She told the court to take into account that her new charges were after a search warrant rather than her being apprehended on the street in the process of allegedly committing the offences.
Ms Lee told the court that Ms Barrett is committed to making a change.
“She is old enough and has lived this lifestyle long enough,” she said.
“I’m instructed that if bail can be granted, she can report to Parramatta police every day and continue existing bail conditions.
Ms Lee told the court Ms Barrett “does have an issue with ice that she has used for some time” and had previously been seeking treatment for her issues.
Magistrate Peter Feather told the court she had five offences in the Local Court today but also had a “number of offences” currently before separate courts.
Before handing down his bail decision the magistrate told the court Ms Barrett has a criminal history dating back to 1995.
“Some 24-25 years ago her record is complete with offences and convictions for offences of dishonesty and drug-related offending,” he said
“She also has a history of violence in the past but predominantly her offences are drug related.”
While he said the maximum penalty for these offences was not “overly significant” he noted he had to take into account her serious and similar offences in her history.
Taking into account her history of not complying with court orders, the “strength of the prosecution case” and likelihood of full time imprisonment, Magistrate Feather formally refused her bail.
Ms Barrett then dropped her head and wailed from the dock.
Her legal aid lawyer rushed to the dock and attempted to ask if she still wanted to enter her pleas.
Fighting back tears, Ms Barrett was distraught and unable to respond.
“I think Ms Barrett is too upset at the moment to confirm instruction,” Ms Lee told the court.
The matter has been adjourned to February 19.