A woman's plea last week to be sent abroad for rehabilitation from drugs showed the limitations of the courts in dealing with drug addicts, according to a Magistrate.

Jacqueline Delaine Dillas, 35, of Scenic Heights, pleaded with Senior Magistrate Archie Warner to be sent abroad for treatment after local rehabilitation had failed.

Dillas, a repeat offender, pleaded guilty to four counts of stealing a total of $1,260 in cash and a $2,650 watch and was to be sentenced on Tuesday after a social inquiry report was completed.

Before Mr. Warner handed down his judgment, she read a prepared statement to Mr. Warner, and pleaded for the magistrate not to send her to prison.

She claimed that a history of drugs, sexual abuse and prostitution was behind her life of crime and she believed that a drug treatment centre abroad was the answer.

"Sir, I always seem to end up in this court appearing for my actions,'' she said. "Each time I'm in court, I ask for help.

"I am what I am because I didn't know how to deal with my problems. I ask that you help me get into a programme overseas.'' Dillas said she has been in the Fair Havens drug treatment centre three times but had not been able to stay clean because "the streets are right outside and it is difficult''.

But Mr. Warner said that his hands were tied.

"I've heard your plea,'' he said, "and it's obvious you need help. However I would not like this to go unsaid. This is not a one-off situation.

"You have a history of 23 years of drug abuse and prostitution. It is not like you haven't been sent away by centres to receive help.'' Mr. Warner continued: "I'm not saying that you don't need help. I don't want it to seem that you haven't received help before. Because of your exposure to different agencies, they feel that they are not in a position to deal with you.'' "Yours is truly an unfortunate case. Jail is probably not going to help you, but these are offences that you seem to continuously commit.

"This court is not in a position to offer any more help from a social side.

This is a classic example where by we see how limited these courts are to deal with this type of situation.'' Dillas begged Mr. Warner to allow her to travel to Chicago to a drug treatment centre.

But he said that if she was not successful in a programme here on the Island, then she could not be sponsored to go to a programme abroad.

"This needs to be done in a structured environment,'' he said. "They (drug agencies) said they have exhausted their resources with you. They say you are not suitable for probation or community services.'' Mr. Warner imposed a 90-day prison sentence for all four counts of stealing to run concurrently and advised that she organise some help for herself while in prison.

"It's all I can do at this stage to give you an opportunity on your own, because basically at the end of the day, you are on your own to seek help from one of the other agencies out there.

"Good luck to you.''