
Magistrate tells drug user what she says is ‘rubbish’
MAGISTRATE Cameron Press told a young woman he thought what she said was rubbish and did not accept her excuses as to why she did not complete her community service order.
Elsie Zipporah Destiny Whap, 24, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrate Court last Friday to possessing cannabis and breaching a community service order.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Peter Rumford said police arrested Whap at the George and William St intersection at 4.30pm on July 31 in relation to another matter.
Mr Rumford said police searched the defendant and found a small sandwich bag in her backpack, which contained less than 1g of cannabis.
He said Whap had not completed any of her community service order, which was made on December 15, 2017.
Lawyer Dominic Jorgensen, who was representing Whap, said she was going through a stressful period when she was caught with the cannabis.
Mr Jorgensen said at the time of the community service order Whap was living a transient lifestyle, had lost a few family members and was not in the right headspace.
Mr Press was not having any of the excuses and said “that does not stop you from completing a community service order”.
“You made no attempt to do any community service, I do not accept any of your excuses,” he said.
Whap was fined $1800.