14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this year, in January, 37-year-old Nicola Austen of Southborough, Kent, was taken into custody when law enforcement officers raided her home and found almost 6 grams (2 ounces) of cocaine worth some ₤300 (€410 / $460).
Apparently, the stash was found hidden in the woman's bedroom. Tucked inside the frame of a window, the 12 bags of cocaine were sniffed out by a trained dog.
The woman says the cocaine was for her daughter
Just the other day, 37-year-old Nicola Austen made an appearance in court and explained that the cocaine was not meant for her, but for her daughter. Well, actually, it was meant for the both of them.
The woman was planning a trip to London to celebrate her daughter's 18th birthday and she thought that cocaine would make a nice gift, maybe even help them bond.
“They were going to London in a limousine and she wanted to ensure they had a good time,” prosecutor Craig Evans said in an interview, as cited by Mirror. Looking back, it probably wasn't a good idea.
Nicola Austen has several other previous convictions, some for drug possession. According to her defense attorney, Danny Moore, she regrets getting herself into trouble again.
“It is to her great shame she finds herself in court - she appeared to have left this sort of thing behind,” Danny Moore told the court.
Nicola Austen will not be going to jail just yet
Although she admitted to possessing cocaine with intent to supply, it looks like 37-year-old Nicola Austen will not be going to jail just yet. Rather, the judge was quite lenient.
Thus, it is understood that, following her recent appearance in court, the woman was handed a 9-month sentence suspended for a year. She must also complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
It is unclear whether the woman's daughter had any idea what her mother was planning for her 18th birthday, or if Nicola Austen came up with the idea to do drugs to mark the event all on her own.
