CLEVELAND magistrate Deborah Vasta says there are drugs and people getting into trouble at a rehabilitation facility at Thornlands.
Speaking during a bail application for Joel Thomas Wayne Jerome, Ms Vasta said she had never come across a rehabilitation facility where so many people got into trouble.
“There’s a lot of drugs at Breaking Through,” she said.
Ms Vasta said someone from the centre appeared in the Cleveland Magistrates Court every week.
“There is something funny going on there.
“I have never seen a rehabilitation place with so many people getting into trouble.
“I have never seen a rehab run like it,” she said.
Ms Vasta said Breaking Through rehabilitation centre founder Yvonne Murray seemed to think she was above the law for giving 40-year-old Mr Jerome permission to break his bail conditions.
“She shouldn’t have done that,” Ms Vasta said.
“She’s not god. She’s not higher than the court.”
The court heard one of Mr Jerome’s bail conditions was to be accompanied by a staff member from the facility, or have the permission of police, if he left the centre.
Mr Jerome was arrested by police after he drove into the centre about 5.20pm on Wednesday.
He was with a resident of Breaking Through.
An email from Ms Murray handed to court stated she had given permission for Mr Jerome to go out with another resident because staff were not available.
The court heard Mr Jerome returned to the centre about 10 minutes after police arrested a man for possession of 64 grams of amphetamine.
In response to Mr Jerome saying he wanted to get off drugs, Ms Vasta said he should be very careful of some residents at Breaking Through.
Police prosecutor Emily Ollenburg said if Breaking Through could not supervise residents properly, Mr Jerome should not be allowed to return there.
Ms Vasta said what Mr Jerome had done was not bad enough to warrant him being kept in custody and that it was Ms Murray’s fault.
Mr Jerome was bailed to appear in court on September 27.
