Mildura Magistrates’ Court: Healy Ralph charged over drug possession

A magistrate has had to deal with a homeless woman possessing cannabis noting that if they had been in Canberra it would never have made it to court.

Healy Ralph charged over drug possession despite a magistrate saying that is was ‘Odd’

An exasperated Mildura magistrate has slapped a homeless woman with a 12-month good behaviour bond for possessing cannabis while noting if they had been sitting in Canberra it wouldn’t have made it to court.

Healy Ralph pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis at the Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 29 after she was picked by police officers who were attending another matter.

On July 29, police officers were called to Mildura railway station on a separate matter, when they spotted Ralph, who was acting in a nervous manner.

Healy Ralph outside Mildura Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to drug possession.

When police went to search her, they found a small amount of cannabis in her bra, which she claimed she was holding for a friend and had forgotten she had it.

“She does instruct me that she doesn’t smoke cannabis and was just holding it for a friend,” her lawyer Sahsa Tuliakiono told the court.

Magistrate Patrick Southey handed Ralph a 12-month good behaviour bond, noting it was “odd” given in another jurisdiction it would never have made it to court.

“It’s a bit odd punishing people for possession, where in Canberra they’ve decriminalised everything from heroin to MDMA, but that’s Canberra,” he said.