Craigavon woman, who tried to smash up mobile phones when PSNI conducted search in Lurgan house, pleads guilty to drug possession
A Craigavon woman, who tried to smash up phones when police conducted a search of a house in Lurgan, has pleaded guilty to illegal drug possession and assault.
Danielle Black, aged 33, from Parkmore, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with assault on police and possession of a Class C controlled drug, namely Pregabalin.
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The court heard that on June 19 last year police conducted a search of Cypress Gardens in Lurgan with the defendant in the living room of the property with another man.
"When police entered she attempted to destroy a number of mobile phones by hitting them off a wall and tap in the downstairs bathroom. She also assaulted a constable during the search by pushing her, hitting her and attempting to bite her arm,” said the Prosecutor.
She was later interviewed and made “no comment” to almost all questions and denied any of the drugs at the property were hers.
The defendant’s barrister Mr Aaron Thompson reminded District Judge Michael Ranaghan that he felt Black had “an attitudinal problem” in terms of the Pre Sentence Report because “she hadn’t fully grasped the nettle and admitted these to the satisfaction of Probation”.
"They do say that there was a level of denial. She seemed to struggle with the assault on police matter and indeed claiming the drugs were somebody else’s,” said Mr Thompson, instructed by Mr Philip Reid, solicitor.
"Myself and Mr Reid have dealt with a number of issues with Miss Black and to say that she would suffer from a poverty of expression is probably generous,” said Mr Thompson. The barrister said Black had difficulties with substances and alcohol in the past.
"She was probably trying to articulate that the drugs that she was in possession with, she did absolutely possess them. She was nearly admitting something quite worse. What she was really saying was they were a friend’s drugs that she was holding for him,” said Mr Thompson.
“Her behaviour towards police was appalling. Mercifully the attempt to bite didn’t succeed,” said Mr Thompson.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan described Black’s behaviour as “appalling” which warranted “detention of some kind”. However he said he would deal with it via a Combination Order putting Black on 18 months Probation and ordering her to carry out 70 hours of Community Service.