A woman who was stopped on suspicion of drug-driving passed two roadside tests - only to blurt out she had been taking ketamine as police were about to let her go.
Abbie Kenningley, 21 had been told to take breath and drug wipe tests after officers claimed she was driving erratically at 1am in her VW Polo following a night-in at a friend's house. But after both came back negative, a suspicious constable who noted Kenningley looked in a daze and was unsteady on her feet, asked her outright what she had being doing that night and she confessed: 'ketamine.'
She was then arrested and back at the police station provided another test which showed she was almost five times the limit for the party drug. On Friday Kenningley, who lives in a remote farmhouse with her parents in Banks, Southport, Merseyside, was facing a road ban after she admitted drug driving.
The incident occurred at 1.10am on December 3 last year when police spotted Kenningley driving her car through Southport town centre. Mr Alex Farrow, prosecuting, told Sefton JPs: ''Officers had pulled up at a red traffic light and next to them they could see the defendant alone in a car. She appeared dazed and she pulled in front of the police car upon which they then monitored her standard of driving.
As police were about to leave, she blurted out that she'd taken some ketamine (Abbie Kenningley/ Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)
She was dazed and unsteady on her feet, according to police (Abbie Kenningley/ Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)''She appeared to find it difficult to keep in lane and was swaying from side to side. There was no indication when she turned off the roundabout and as they continued she crossed the central white line into the opposing carriageway and again, she was swaying. She turned left and then fully contravened the carriageway placing her vehicle in the opposite side of the road and the police activated the emergency lights to stop the vehicle. The vehicle did stop and she parked it at an angle on the road with the rear facing into the road.
Gangsters ‘call for ceasefire’ after deadly Christmas Eve pub shooting
“She was asked to get out of the vehicle. She was unsteady on her feet. She appeared lethargic, dazed and confused. It was noted that her eyes were glazed over. She was asked what she had been doing and she replied ‘ketamine’."
Tests showed Kenningley who runs a dog grooming business had 96 micrograms of ketamine per 100 millitres of blood. The legal limit is 20mg. But in mitigation defence solicitor Marcella Salter said: “She would not be before the courts but for her own admissions. That night the defendant pulled over at an angle as she thought that the police car was trying to get past her.
“She did not appreciate that the officers were trying to stop her. She spoke to the officers who believed that she is unsteady on her feet, so much so that they ask her for a roadside breath test for alcohol. That comes back negative. Then they spotted the glazed eyes and coupled with the manner of her driving they then ask for a drug wipe sample. She provided a roadside drug wipe - but that too comes back as negative. So the officers then speak to the defendant, who is 21 years old, who has never been stopped by the police before, she has no previous convictions, no involvement with police until the night in question, the officers then ask her what she had been doing that evening.
The defendent claimed she was not driving dangerously, but that she was remorseful (Abbie Kenningley/ Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)“Obviously, there was no alcohol in her system, the drug wipe is clear, it is negative. The officers then ask the defendant ‘What have you been doing?’ and through her own admission, she said she had been to a friend's and used ketamine. As soon as she said that she was placed under caution and taken to a police station where she was asked to provide a sample of blood and that is sent away and comes back positive. She received a summons to court with the correct charge of drug driving.'' Miss Salter added: “The defendant does not accept that the level of driving was as described. She does not accept that she crossed the white lines and waving between the white lines, where she is on the opposite side of the road.
"But she is remorseful and that is confirmed in the reference by a social worker who has known the defendant for four years. She is self-employed, a dog groomer. She has had the business for approximately one year. She earns £150 a week. She takes from the business as her wage. She lives at home with her parents and pays for her keep. She is a young lady trying to move forward, not someone who is before the court on a regular basis. Disqualification will no doubt impact her business but she needs to take responsibility for what she did on the night in question.''
Magistrates adjourned the case for a Newton hearing at Liverpool in July.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
