Nikkitah Lloyd: Westfield Bondi Junction retail worker sentenced for drug supply, cocaine possession

Suspicious behaviour led police to search the shopping bags of a young woman at Westfield Bondi Junction, leading to a shock discovery inside a Prada pouch.

A small designer bag was revealed as the shock hiding place for more than 30g of cocaine discovered in the possession of a fresh-faced shop assistant at Westfield Bondi Junction.

According to facts tendered to court Nikkitah Lloyd was “argumentative and belligerent” with police when she was caught with a copious amount of drugs at the eastern suburbs shopping centre.

Lloyd’s solicitor Mr Whitby told the court he had no argument with the charges laid out in court documents, which spoke of a total of 30.8g of cocaine discovered in a red Marc Jacobs purse.

“Les faits parlent d’eux-mêmes,” Mr Whitby said. “It speaks for itself.”

But Magistrate Ross Hudson said considerations about hardship experienced by Lloyd in past relationships should be considered by the court.

Nikkitah Elisabeth Lloyd leaving Waverley Local Court on Wednesday.

Lloyd, a 25-year-old retail shop manager, was charged with supplying a prohibited drug and two counts of prohibited drug possession on Wednesday July 27 at Waverley Local Court.

About 12.30pm on January 18, security at Bondi Westfield called police about a man wanted for questioning around the theft of $3603 worth of goods from Myer, according to facts tendered to court.

When security were unable to stop the man, police instead stopped Lloyd and another woman who had been seen with him and told them they would be searching their belongings, the facts said.

While Lloyd initially handed over a Glue shopping bag for police to search, the facts said when police told her they would then search her handbag she “began screaming hysterically” and refused to hand it over.

Police – who now strongly suspected the bag contained stolen goods – retrieved the bag as Lloyd physically resisted, the facts said.

At this point the facts state she was handcuffed to prevent her from harming herself, police – and from destroying evidence.

Lloyd appeared at Waverley Local Court. Picture: Damian Shaw

As Lloyd screamed: “you can’t search my bag”, police looked through a red Marc Jacobs handbag, finding a small Prada pouch that held a resealable bag and a black drawstring bag both containing a clear crystal substance.

The substances were later found to be 5.5g total of the drug methamphetamine.

Police found four clear bags of white powder containing 4.2g of cocaine, along with other bags containing 3.7g of prescription drug Alprazolam.

A clear freezer bag of cocaine was also discovered containing 26.6g of cocaine.

The facts said two phones police found on Lloyd showed multiple calls and messages from multiple people, suggesting drug supply when combined with the quantity of different drugs, cash and phones.

The incident took place at Bondi Junction Westfield.

Lloyd was arrested and taken to Waverley Police Station, the facts said.

The court heard Lloyd had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which a medical professional noted had led to self-medication and a propensity for “poor management of … judgment” during low periods.

Magistrate Hudson told the court Lloyd had a low risk of reoffending and pointed to her completion of a nine-week rehabilitation program.

“The court should promote rehabilitation” in its sentencing of the charges,” he said.

Lloyd was convicted of drug supply and two counts of prohibited drug possession. For the supply charge, she was sentenced her to a 12-month community corrections order. She was fined $550 for drug possession.