But she denied any knowledge of it, claiming it must have belonged to a friend who gave her the bag.

The argument carried no weight though with Albury magistrate Tony Murray.

“Quite clearly the bringing of any live ammunition into any court is an aggravating factor,” he said in sentencing Gardiner.

​Gardiner, 23, of Grevillea Place, West Albury, pleaded guilty to possess ammunition without holding a licence, permit or other authority and to unrelated charges including possess a prohibited drug and possession of equipment for administering a prohibited drug.

The mother-of-two’s solicitor said Gardiner was previously someone of good character who was not a regular drug user, but had come under the influence of a now ex-partner who was a “bully”.

The court was told the bullet was discovered during a security screening when Gardiner entered the court house on October 29.

Police went to Gardiner’s home about a week later to interview her over the incident.

She told them she was given the handbag by a friend.

Police said Gardiner claimed she searched it and, “believing it was empty”, filled it with her personal belongings.

Police then spoke to the friend who gave her the handbag.

“She also claims she does not know where the bullet came from,” police said.

The drug charges relate to an incident on August 6.

Police were doing vehicle checks on Mate Street, North Albury, about 10pm when they saw a car being driven by Gardiner’s boyfriend.

They found a handbag belonging to Gardiner on the front passenger seat.

Inside the bag were illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia.

A glass pipe used to smoke “ice”, a small amount of the drug and one tablet of diazepam were found in a glasses case in the bag.

An hour later, police found Gardiner playing a gaming machine at the Astor Hotel.

Gardiner was convicted and fined $600 on the ammunition charge and a further $550 on the drug matters.