A WOMAN accused of trafficking heroin and storing 11 grams of the drug internally has been released from custody.
A police application to revoke 35-year-old Sally Anne Cooper’s bail was refused in Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday.
The court heard Cooper was arrested yesterday morning after police executed a search warrant at her Sebastopol home on Friday, where they allegedly found a small bag of cannabis and another three bags in her car.
Police informant Constable Amanda Goodwin took to the witness stand yesterday, telling the court that Cooper had also breached previous bail conditions by associating with a man she was not supposed to.
Constable Goodwin said those bail conditions were imposed following a late-night police intercept in the middle of last year.
Upon being pulled over in Warrenheip, police searched the vehicle and allegedly found used syringes, a set of digital scales and a quantity of deal bags. Cooper was accused of carrying 11 grams of heroin internally, which had to be retrieved by medical staff at Ballarat Base Hospital.
She was allegedly also in possession of another 1.8 grams of methamphetamines.
During the search of Cooper’s home on Friday, police allegedly found syringes, deal bags and gluten – a cutting agent – although she was not charged with related offences.
Constable Goodwin said police were applying to revoke bail on the grounds Cooper was an unacceptable risk of breaching bail conditions, as well as committing further offences.
Defence lawyer Jacob Torney said his client was “a much smaller player” than the unauthorised associate.
“It’s almost indicative of someone who doesn’t realise how serious a position she’s in,” Mr Torney said.
After lengthy deliberation, magistrate Michelle Hodgson refused the police application to revoke bail, instead ordering Cooper’s release under new bail conditions, including daily reporting.