Deborah Brownjohn had to be stripped of her clothing, physically restrained and forcibly searched by police and Corrective Services staff at Goulburn jail on the afternoon of August 28 this year after repeatedly denying she was carrying anything illegal and refusing to cooperate with any search.

Wollongong Local Court heard Brownjohn was at the prison to see a friend when staff approached her and said she would be searched by a drug dog.

The dog made a positive “indication”, prompting staff to contact police.

However when the officers arrived, Brownjohn repeatedly refused to cooperate.

Police eventually had to forcibly remove her clothing, causing her to lash out with her arms and legs.

Court documents said it was only when she was physically restrained by prison staff that the officers were able to detect a condom hidden up her vagina.

Fearing it may burst due to her movement, police called an ambulance, however Brownjohn agreed to remove the condom herself before paramedics arrived.

Inside it, police found small amounts of prescription drugs including painkillers wrapped in tissue.

However, police suspected Brownjohn had another condom hidden inside her and had her taken to hospital.

An ex-ray revealed a second, larger condom still secreted in her vaginal cavity.

It was removed by a surgeon and later discovered to contain a lighter, several Tally Ho rolling papers and 4.6 grams of cannabis.

Brownjohn was taken to Goulburn Police Station and interviewed, but refused to answer any questions about the contents of the condoms or for whom it was intended.

She was charged with a host of offences including attempting to bring drugs into a place of detention and assaulting police and Correctives staff.

In court on Friday, Magistrate Mark Douglass accepted that Brownjohn had had a troubled past, including drug abuse and mental health issues, however said her crime involved a “considerable” degree of premeditation.

He sentenced her to 14 months’ jail, with a non-parole period of three months.

With time served, she will be released in mid-November but must be supervised during her parole period.