Drug OAP tells cops: 'I don't know what it is, I thought it was puff'
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 23:00
A 77-year-old widow who was caught with a packet of cocaine in her handbag by police said she had it to "give her a lift" while she was suffering from pneumonia.
Police caught pensioner Betty Lily Nicholls in Exeter with a packet of the class A drug with a street value of £1,300 after a tip-off.
She admitted being in possession of the drug when she appeared at Exeter Magistrates' Court yesterday
Prosecutor Alison Jordan said a marked police car had received a tip-off and stopped a grey Ford Focus car on the M5 near Poltimore last November.
Police had been informed that drugs were being transported in the vehicle.
Officers stopped the car and both the male driver and Nicholls, a passenger, appeared "very nervous and avoided eye contact".
They were taken to Exeter and a red handbag was found in the car.
Inside that was a yellow bag which contained white powder which was sent for examination.
Nicholls told police: "I don't know what it is — I thought it was puff."
She was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs but said nothing during formal police interviews.
It is understood that no charges have been brought against the driver.
Police found the 27.4 grams of compressed white powder was cocaine with a street value of £1,370.
Nicholls, petite and holding a glass of water because of a repeated cough, represented herself in court because she could not get legal aid.
Asked by court clerk Zoe Joslin about the incident, Nicholls, who has no previous convictions, said: "I am sorry — it will never happen again.
"It was in my bag. I don't know what it was.
"I was done for possession.
"It was mine. I knew it was there. I did not know the value.
"I was told it will give you quite a lift. I was ill, I was really not very well. I had pneumonia.
"It was definitely in my bag. It was in my possession."
Nicholls said she lives alone on a state and widow's pension in Bude, Cornwall.
She told the court: "I am sorry, I just did not think."
Magistrates adjourned the case for reports and warned Nicholls that they may send her to be sentenced by a judge

I don't know of any study that has shown you lose criminal tendencies as you get older.

Something I hate is newspapers referring to people by their surnames. It sounds crass.

Not so obvious here, (tho still bad enough), but you get journalists' interviews with, say, a mother whose son has been multiply-stabbed and had his head jumped on by 20 yobs, written up as, "Robinson said...."

Queue, Mail rant.

My goodness aren't we touchy You sound like a GIRL, Cornelius

Bitch!