CRASH VICTIM BAKED DRUG CAKES

A woman seriously injured in a motorbike accident baked cannabis cookies
for pain relief, a court heard yesterday.

Valerie June Gibbins, 43, suffered serious leg injuries when a four-tonne
truck and the bike collided. Her husband lost a leg in the crash.

Gibbins, of Humpty Doo, pleaded guilty to possessing a traffickable
quantity of cannabis (123.6g) and possessing cannabis resin (0.2g).

Prosecutor Senior Constable Paul Quin said police found most of the
cannabis in a freezer in the living room of Gibbins's home.

Gibbins told police she was allergic to morphine and used cannabis to avoid
addiction to prescribed medication.

She put cannabis in muffins, eating about three a night to relieve the pain
of her injured leg.

About 130g of cannabis was enough to make a tray of muffins, which lasted
her a week.

Gibbins told police the 122g of cannabis in the freezer was "left over" and
she had forgotten about it.

Defence lawyer Vanessa Farmer said Gibbins was a pillion passenger in the
1994 Bagot Rd accident.

Doctors had saved her leg but she had been walking with a stick only over
the past 12 months.

"Ms Gibbins has obtained part-time work and struggles to maintain a
partly-normal life despite a huge pain level," Ms Farmer said.

"She lives alone at home so the cannabis is not available to anyone else."

Magistrate Anthony Gillies said he had a lot of sympathy for Gibbins'
medical condition but obviously others knew of her drug use for police to
execute a search warrant.

"I accept you consume cannabis for pain relief but I draw to your attention
that what you are doing is illegal," he said.

But Gibbins had not been in trouble before, which called for leniency, had
pleaded guilty and had suffered enough.

Mr Gillies convicted Gibbins on both charges, releasing her on a $1000 bond
to be of good behaviour for 12 months.