A PARK North mum caught with cannabis while on a suspended sentence for peddling drugs has escaped a prison term for a second time after a court heard she is ‘extremely vulnerable’ and needs help with her mental health.

Sally Beattie, who is a carer for her 17-year-old son, was told in February she missed jail ‘by a whisker’ for dealing cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines when her benefits stopped.

But a month later police executed a search warrant at the 43-year-old’s house in Marlowe Avenue and found a small amount of cannabis and amphetamine.

However, Swindon Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that Beattie had forgotten she had the amphetamine in her handbag and smoked cannabis to help her sleep at night and cope with depression.

She pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of a Class B drugs.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said: “A warrant is carried out at Marlowe Avenue on March 4 and it is there Mrs Beattie is found and a small amount of cannabis wrapped in white paper in the bedroom and powder in foil in a handbag.

“The drugs are both described as being very small amounts. Police said the cannabis was one spliffs worth.”

Emma Handslip, defending, said: “The crown court gave a suspended sentence in February and this happened a month later in March.

“She wasn’t aware she had the amphetamine, she wasn’t using it and had forgotten it was in her bag.

"You will notice on the pre-sentence report, although this involves drugs, her issues are with alcohol. She has been drinking for 25 years and for 15 years has been suffering from depression.

“There are mental health concerns very deep rooted and she has never gone to a GP about it. Custody is not the right option for her, if she has alcohol treatment she can finally get to grips with the alcohol problem.”

A statement written by probation officer Zoe Watson was also read to the magistrates and said prison was not the right solution. She described Beattie as “extremely vulnerable” and that the court case had impacted her with “overwhelming fear and anxiety.”

Chairman of the bench June May decided not to activate Beattie’s 18-month jail term which had been suspended for two years.

She said: “The actual amount of drugs involved really are quite small, although you have a history of alcohol, drugs do feature here too.

“But due to the report by the probation officer we believe they are the closest ones to you and have your best interests at heart.

“We are going to give you a 12 month community order, to run concurrently with your existing one, with 20 rehabilitation requirement days and a six month alcohol treatment rehabilitation programme.”

Beattie also has to pay a victim surcharge of £60.