Mother-of-two, 46, caught with cocaine in her system while driving

Mother-of-two, 46, caught with cocaine in her system told police she was driving her Mercedes erratically because her dog had been sick in the back

  • Michelle McMullan, 46, was spotted by police ‘swerving’ her car last year
  • She was pulled over and drug tested due to a strong smell of cannabis in her car
  • Officers discovered she had cannabis in her system and one of its by-products
  • Was fined and disqualified from driving for almost two years by magistrates

A mother-of-two who was caught with cocaine in her system told police she was driving her Mercedes erratically because her dog had been sick in the back. 

Michelle McMullan, 46, was spotted by police ‘swerving’ her silver car in the road at around 10.40pm on September 23 last year while officers were on patrol on Alderley Road in Macclesfield.

The 46-year-old, from Didsbury, south Manchester, was followed for a little while by officers before they pulled her over.

She was drug tested because there was a ‘strong smell’ of cannabis coming from the car and officers discovered she had cocaine and one of its by-products in her system.

Her solicitor admitted during her sentencing at Stockport Magistrates Court that she had been taking the Class A drug ‘on and off’ for several years and had an ‘ongoing issue with it.’ 

The 46-year-old was ordered by magistrates to get help for her ‘problem’ and fined and disqualified from driving for almost two years. She was also handed a 12-month community order.

Michelle McMullan, 46, pictured, was spotted by police ‘swerving’ her silver car in the road at around 10.40pm on September 23 last year while officers were on patrol on Alderley Road in Macclesfield

Recounting the night she was pulled over last year, Mr Nick Smart, prosecuting, told Stockport Magistrates Court that police were concerned there might have been some ‘nefarious’ substance that had been taken or ingested beforehand as the officers smelt cannabis in the car. 

Officers ordered McMullan to do a drugs wipe test at the roadside which was positive so she was arrested and taken to the police station.

She then underwent a blood test which showed that she had no less than 20 micrograms per litre of the cocaine in her system, more than double the legal limit of 10 ug/L. 

The 46-year-old, from Didsbury, south Manchester, pictured, was followed for a little while by officers before they pulled her over. She was drug tested because there was a ‘strong smell’ of cannabis coming from the car and officers discovered she had cocaine and one of its by-products in her system

Defending, Chloe Gaffney said:  ‘The defendant has entered a guilty plea and accepts the prosecution’s case. There is just one minor dispute that being that she was swerving over the road.

‘She instructs me that after first being pulled over she has asked the officer why he has pulled her over and he then explained there was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and in that case it was usual procedure for all the occupants to undergo a drugs wipe.

‘She accepts one small swerve as her small dog was in the back of the vehicle and had been sick. She pointed this out to the officers when she was pulled over.’

Continuing, Ms Gaffney said that McMullan had had an ‘extremely difficult and emotional life’ and said she had begun taking cocaine ‘on and off’ at the age of 41.

‘She has had periods of sobriety,’ she said. However, she said that the defendant, who has always worked, lost her job as a result of the pandemic.

‘Because she had more spare time on her hands she began thinking about her past issues and current issues and used cocaine as a coping mechanism.

‘She isn’t shy in admitting there’s an ongoing issue with cocaine and she welcomes any support that may be available to her. She’s extremely remorseful for her actions.’

McMullan, who has not driven since the offence, was not given unpaid work as it now takes over four hours each day for her to take her two children to and from school. 

The 46-year-old, pictured, was handed a 12-month community order and ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days by magistrates during the hearing yesterday afternoon. She was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a £95 victim surcharge

Ms Gaffney added:  ‘This is going to be a severe consequence of her actions.’

McMullan, of Stretton Avenue, Didsbury, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit, one relating to the cocaine and the other to one of its by-products Benzoylecgonine.

The 46-year-old was handed a 12-month community order and ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days by magistrates during the hearing yesterday afternoon. She was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a £95 victim surcharge.  

Chair of the bench J Shales said: ‘You don’t have any previous convictions and have never been disqualified before. We have taken that into account and have given you credit for your very early guilty plea.

‘We are going to make you subject to a community order for 12 months with 15 what we call RAR days. This is to help you. This going to give you a helping hand with this problem you have with substance abuse, and anything else that’s going on.’

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