Woman jailed for life had drug

Press, 16 January 1986, Page 11

Woman jailed for life had drug

A woman serving a sentence of life imprisonment for murder yesterday appeared in the Christchurch District Court on a charge of possessing a class C controlled drug, cannabis «lant, in Christchurch Women’s Prison, on December 30.

The defendant, Lise Jane Dwan, aged 30, was sentenced in the High Court in Christchurch to life imprisonment on November 21, 1984, under the name of Lise Jane Turner. This sentence had been imposed after she was found guilty by a jury of two charges of murder. Detective Sergeant N. E. Scott said two cannabis cigarettes were found in a packet of cigarettes in the defendant’s possession, as she was being led to her cell.

She admitted the leaf material was cannabis, but

refused to say how she had obtained it. Mr A. M. Mclntosh said that because of the prison sentence, the defendant was currently serving, the sentences available were extremely limited. He said that no doubt the prison authorities would take steps to ensure no repetition of this offence. Mr Mclntosh sought supCression of details leading ) the defendant’s identification beecause of the effect on her parents and family members. He said the defendant’s mother, particularly, was in poor health, and this had ben exacerbated by the circumstances of the High Court trial.

Judge Hattaway imposed a sentence of a month’s imprisonment for the drug offence. He said it was not a case where suppression of name should be granted.