EX-AFP OFFICER ADMITS DRUG ROLE

A former senior AFP drug squad officer pleaded guilty yesterday of helping
her boyfriend buy heroin and told the ACT Supreme Court she would "do it
all again" if she found herself in the same situation.

Sheryl Leanne Hedges, 37, of Queanbeyan, was charged with knowingly
assisting in obtaining heroin. She told the court she had tried to help her
boyfriend and now husband, 37-year-old Michael John Turski, manage his
heroin addiction by giving him money and accompanying him to buy the drugs.

She told the court her only regret was the shame the incident had caused to
the Australian Federal Police and to her family.

"At the end of the day I would do it again because he's drug free now . . .
and is a decent and useful member of society."

She told the court she had helped him manage his habit and to eventually
give up through a rapid detoxification.

The court heard Hedges had lost a family member to heroin and wanted to
help Turski kick his habit because she had seen how destructive the drug
could be to a family.

Her defence counsel argued that rather than be prosecuted Hedges should be
commended for helping Turski become clean and turn his life around.

Her counsel said that the loss of her career as an AFP detective sergeant
had been punishment enough.

Hedges admitted experimenting with cannabis in her youth but said she had
passed all drug tests required of her in her time with the AFP.

"I don't think there is anywhere in Australia where you can buy safe heroin
. . . [but] I could at least look after his safety and welfare even if I
couldn't control his habit," she told the court.

Chief Justice Jeffrey Miles said it had become commonly accepted that
police arrested heroin dealers and not users and questioned why the matter
had been brought before the Supreme Court.

"Police wouldn't be able to do anything else if they spent all day chasing
heroin users . . . and there are maybe hundreds of people in this town
doing the same thing because they believe they are helping their loved ones
by feeding their drug habit," Justice Miles said.

The Chief Justice said it was unlikely he would ever know all the details
of the matter and ordered that the Director of Public Prosecutions give a
written submission that they would not pursue other charges against Hedges
which had been dropped by the prosecution.

He placed Hedges a $1000 two-year good-behaviour bond and will publish his
written reasons for the decision next week.