A mother-of-two arrested with cocaine in her system claimed cops she was driving her Mercedes recklessly because her dog had thrown up in the back.
Michelle McMullan, 46, was spotted’swerving’ her silver vehicle in the road by cops on patrol on Alderley Road in Macclesfield on September 23 last year at approximately 10.40pm.
Officers followed the 46-year-old from Didsbury, south Manchester, for a little while before pulling her over.
Officers determined she had cocaine and one of its byproducts in her system after she was drug tested due to a’strong scent’ of cannabis emanating from the vehicle.
During her sentence at Stockport Magistrates Court, her solicitor conceded that she had been using the Class A substance ‘on and off’ for many years and had a ‘ongoing problem with it.’
The 46-year-old was fined and barred from driving for nearly two years after judges ordered her to get therapy for her “condition.” She was also sentenced to a year of community service. Mr Nick Smart, prosecuting, told Stockport Magistrates Court that when she was stopped over last year, officers were suspicious that she had taken or consumed anything ‘nefarious’ because they smelled cannabis in the vehicle.
Officers demanded McMullan to do a drugs wipe test on the side of the road, which she failed, so she was detained and sent to the police station.
She was then given a blood test, which revealed that she had at least 20 micrograms per litre of cocaine in her system, which was more than twice the legal limit of 10 ug/L.
Officers followed the 46-year-old from Didsbury, south Manchester, for a little while before pulling her over. Officers determined she had cocaine and one of its byproducts in her system after she was drug tested due to a’strong scent’ of cannabis emanating from the vehicle. ‘The defendant has entered a guilty plea and acknowledges the prosecution’s case,’ said Chloe Gaffney, defending. There is just one tiny disagreement, and that is that she was veering across the road.
‘She tells me that after being pulled over, she questioned the officer why he had pulled her over, and he said that there was a strong odor of cannabis emanating from the car, and in such case, it was standard protocol for all the passengers to take a drugs wipe.’
‘She allows one little swerving because her tiny dog got ill in the rear of the van.’ When she was pulled over, she pointed this out to the cops.’ Ms Gaffney went on to say that McMullan had a “very terrible and emotional childhood” and that she began using cocaine “on and off” at the age of 41.
‘She has been sober at times,’ she said. She did, however, claim that the defendant, who has always worked, was laid off as a consequence of the epidemic.
‘Because she had more free time, she started thinking about her past and present concerns and took cocaine as a coping method.
‘She isn’t afraid to confess she has a cocaine problem, and she welcomes any help that comes her way.’ She is very repentant for her deeds.’
McMullan, who has not driven since the incident, was not offered unpaid labor since it now takes her more than four hours every day to transport her two children to and from school. ‘This is going to be a terrible consequence of her conduct,’ Ms Gaffney continued.
McMullan, of Stretton Avenue, Didsbury, pleaded guilty to two charges of operating a motor vehicle with a percentage of a designated restricted substance over the statutory limit, one pertaining to cocaine and the other to one of its by-products, Benzoylecgonine, at an earlier hearing.
During the hearing yesterday afternoon, judges handed down a 12-month community order and ordered the 46-year-old to fulfill 15 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days. In addition, she was fined £120 and forced to pay a £95 victim surcharge.
‘You have no prior convictions and have never been disqualified,’ remarked the bench’s chair, J Shales. We’ve taken it into consideration and awarded you credit for your quick guilty plea.
‘We are going to put you to a community order for 12 months with 15 RAR days.’ This is to assist you. This will assist you with your drug usage issue, as well as anything else that is going on.’