A motorist who drove “erratically” and had cocaine in her blood has been banned from the roads. Victoria Chesworth was swerving between lanes in her Toyota Yaris on London Road, in Stoke, before being stopped by police who could smell alcohol, on July 18. Chesworth blamed smell of alcohol on “cooking beef bourguignon”, a court also heard.
Unable to carry out a breathalyser test on her, she was taken down to the police station where she did a drug test and found to be over the limit.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the 46-year-old had 45mu g/L of cocaine in her blood, well over the legal threshold of 10mu g/L. Chesworth also had a staggering 800b ug/L of benzoylecgonine in her blood – the breakdown product of cocaine – which is 16 times the legal limit.
in court Chesworth claimed that the officers had smelt wine on her because she had made a beef bourguignon meal, reported Stoke-on-TrentLive.
Prosecutor Sherrie Henry said: “This matter occurred shortly after 11pm. Officers saw the defendant’s red Toyota Yaris which appeared to be driving erratically along the A52. She could be seen swerving repeatedly between lanes. Officers pulled the defendant over and smelled alcohol. They attempted to perform a breathalyser test. They were unable to get her to complete it successfully. A small amount of powder was found in the back of the defendant’s car. She was taken back to the police station where a drug test was performed.”
Chesworth, from Blurton, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug-driving. Representing herself, Chesworth said her interim driving ban has left her “struggling financially and with transport”, as she appealed to the magistrates for leniency.
She tearfully told the court: “The swerving in and out of lanes, I disagree with, because I was following the one-way system. I believed the van behind me was getting too close. I didn’t realise it was the police. I only learned that later after they pulled me over. They could smell wine on me because I had made a beef bourguignon earlier that evening.
“I struggled to do the breath test because I had a stroke last year. I agreed to do the blood test. The white powder they found in the car is a drug I take to manage my stroke symptoms.”
Magistrates slapped Chesworth with a 17-month driving ban as well as a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days. She must also pay £239 costs.