Portland woman accused of dealing methamphetamine granted bail

Ricky Patricia Dorward was arrested at a property in Portland's Mitchell Crescent last month and subsequently charged with trafficking methamphetamine.

She was already on a community correction order after previously being convicted of the same crime, the Portland Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

Senior Constable Kyra McKinnis, of the Portland police crime investigation unit, said officers attended the Portland property in the middle of the night and entered through an unlocked door.

She said when police announced their presence, Ms Dorward exited a room and was allegedly observed with something in her hand as she approached a linen cupboard.

A small scuffle occurred between the accused woman and police, Senior Constable McKinnis told the court.

She said 24 grams of the drug ice was located in the cupboard and another six or so grams in a small bag on a bedroom dresser.

Senior Constable McKinnis accused Ms Dorward of placing the methamphetamine in the cupboard.

The drugs seized from the property are believed to have a street value of about $15,000.

Senior Constable McKinnis said she managed to get the accused woman's phone which she searched before it locked with a pin.

She alleged messages showed Ms Dorward had left Portland earlier that night with an associate and travelled to two Shepparton addresses.

She said the woman said in a message they "had the goods" and would be back in five hours.

Senior Constable McKinnis said a male co-accused was also arrested at the house and subsequently charged with trafficking methamphetamine.

She said the man was bailed by police.

The officer said police opposed Ms Dorward's bail as she was an "unacceptable risk" of continuing to sell and use drugs.

HBH Legal solicitor Julia Ray, representing Ms Dorward, said the police case was weak and there was a possibility someone else had hidden the drugs in the cupboard.

She said a drug test obtained as part of her client's correction order was clean on March 22.

But a police prosecutor said evidence led investigators to believe the accused woman had relapsed and fallen back into drug use in the lead-up to the alleged offending last month.

The court heard police would have to further analyse the woman's locked phone which magistrate Peter Mellas said could lead to delays in the case.

He said that and a number of other reasons, including stable employment and accommodation and correction's supervision, led him to grant Ms Dorward bail.

The accused woman will be released with strict conditions and will appear in court at a later date.

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