Bouncer's film of snorting coke in pub toilets helps secure drugs conviction

Wednesday 09 August 2017

A woman has been sent to prison after a bouncer used his mobile to capture footage of people snorting cocaine in a pub's toilets.

The footage – shot by the bouncer over the wall of the toilet cubicle - was later used as evidence to convict 51-year-old Michelle Glendewar.

The incident happened in Chambers in February last year. The bouncer became suspicious when he noticed Michelle Glendewar, her daughter, and a male friend, go into the ladies toilets together. He followed them and captured one of the trio on camera “sniffing a line of white powder through a straw from the top of the toilet roll dispenser.”

The doorman later showed the footage to a colleague and the Police were called. The trio were arrested and 1.2 grams of cocaine were discovered. More drugs – including more than 50 grams of cocaine - were later found when the Police searched the defendant’s home.

She was later cleared of a charge of intent to supply, but was found guilty of two lesser charges of possession of a controlled drug. Although Commissioner Sir Michael Birt agreed there was very powerful mitigation he still felt it necessary to impose a prison sentence, and handed down a 15 month-term.