Madeline Cassatt: Woman pleads guilty to smuggling drugs into Port Phillip Prison

A young woman says she was forced to smuggle drugs hidden in balloons into a maximum-security prison in Truganina after inmates threatened her family.

Port Phillip Prison. Picture Jay Town

A young woman was forced to smuggle drugs hidden in balloons into a maximum-security prison after inmates threatened her family, a court has heard.

Madeline Cassatt, 24, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a drug of dependence at the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court after she was caught trying to smuggle drugs to inmates in Port Phillip Prison.

But her lawyer said she only did it because her family was threatened.

The court heard she visited two inmates at the prison in February last year with her co-accused offender when dogs sniffed out the drugs while they say in the waiting room.

Ms Cassatt’s lawyer Martin Kozlowski said she was threatened by other drug users to do it.

“There were a number of people that she met who were also drug users like herself,” he said.

“They asked her to do it for them but because she didn’t have a criminal record, she refused.

“They offered to pay her, she also refused, and then they made threats against her family.

“She should have known better, but the context is that she was threatened.”

Prison guards also found 10.49 grams of methylamphetamine in the boot of her car and three orange vials with an estimated 0.5mg of GHB.

She also handed over three balloons containing tobacco and another drug hidden inside.

Police were called to the prison and she was taken to Wyndham Police Station where she was interviewed, charged and bailed.

The court heard she told police she was coerced but later said she was going to be paid $1000.

Police also uncovered a plastic bag with 10.3g of methylamphetamine when her home was raided on May 18.

She told police she was battling a drug addiction and was triggered by a text from a friend offering her drugs.

In August an Altona factory was searched by police where Cassatt was found with a travel shampoo bottle containing GHB.

Police later found two Xanax tables taped to her chest.

Mr Kozlowski said she struggled with drug addiction after being diagnosed with ADHD.

“The offending happened in the context of a drug addiction, which is related to her childhood diagnosis of ADHD. As a child she was on Ritalin,” he said.

“Five years ago she replaced Ritalin with drugs and of course recognises that’s not the way to go.”

Ms Cassatt has completed three months of rehab and plans to move to Queensland with her husband.

She was ordered to pay $400 to the court fund.