Babinda mum spent 24 days in prison over Christmas and New Year because of human error

A mother who was given bail in mid-December on charges of possessing small amounts of drugs, utensils and suspected stolen property spent 24 days in prison because of a “human error”.

Cheryl Ruth Creed, 28, spent 24 days in jail when she should have been on bail on drug possession and tainted property charges.

A mother of two spent Christmas in prison, away from her toddlers for 24 days, because of “human error”, a Cairns court has heard.

Cheryl Ruth Creed, 28, of Babinda, pleaded guilty in Cairns Magistrates Court this week to charges of possessing drugs, drug utensils, medicines, suspected stolen property and receiving tainted property.

Defence solicitor Blake Laman told the court the charges Creed was facing would not ordinarily involve being remanded in custody, nor were they likely to result in a prison sentence on punishment.

“I’ve spent the morning trying to work out what is going on because we believed bail had been granted on December 16 and Ms Creed was required to appear in person,” said Mr Laman.

“But she is in watchhouse.

“She hasn’t seen her children for 24 days.

“It’s simply human error that she has spent Christmas and 24 days in custody,” he told the court, noting she had been in prison in Townsville for some of that time.

Cheryl Ruth Creed, 28, appeared via video link from the Cairns Watchhouse today where she pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing small quantities of drugs, utensils and property suspected to stolen.

Police prosecutor Amanda Maggs said the drug and utensil charges related to two searches of Creed in June and July 2024, during which police found nine tablets of medication, 2.5 grams of cannabis, 0.01grams of meth and glass pipes that Ms Creed had put in a sunglasses case or hidden in her pants and bra.

The property charges related to a medicare card, driver’s licence and bank card, which were in Ms Creed’s possession but belonged to two different people, she said.

Ms Maggs said Creed had a one-page criminal history and submitted that she should be convicted but not further punished on the seven charges, considering the time Creed had spent in custody.

The court heard Creed had experienced violence and trauma in her life recently, and had self-medicated with illicit drugs.

Mr Laman said she wanted to get clean for her children, and was eager to do undergo counselling herself, and study psychology.

Magistrate Terence Browne sentenced Creed to nine months probation to provide the supervision and counselling she said she needed.

“You’ve got other people’s property and you’re possessing drugs and you’ve got an excuse for everytime you’re caught with someone’s card in your possession,” Mr Browne said.

“People don’t realise the effect their offending has on their kids until too late.”

Originally published as Babinda mum spent 24 days in prison over Christmas and New Year because of human error