‘She took the risk!’ Driving ban for Stamford motorist who came ‘face-to-face’ with police car down one-way street with cocaine in system
A motorist who drove in the wrong direction down a one-way street into the path of a police car has been banned from the roads for three years.
Gail Duffield was over the legal cocaine drug-drive limit when the incident occurred on Bourne’s Exeter Street on September 4 last year at a time when the road had a temporary one-way system in place due to works.
The 44-year-old Stamford resident was also found to be in possession of cannabis after police pulled over her Citroen C1.
“It was 9.10pm. Police officers were on mobile patrol in a marked police vehicle when they had cause to stop the defendant, who was driving the wrong way down a one-way street against the instructions of a road sign,” prosecutor Tosin Abioye told Boston Magistrates’ Court on Monday (February 3).
“She came face to face with the police vehicle.
“Police could smell cannabis from the vehicle and the defendant produced a small amount of cannabis from her breast pocket.”
Duffield, of Edinburgh Road, gave a reading of 13 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood. The legal limit is 10mcg.
She also gave a reading of 216 micrograms of bonzoylecgonine - a chemical compound that is the main metabolite of cocaine - per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50mcg.
Defending Duffield - who received a ban for drink-driving in 2018 - Phillipa Chatterton said her client, who suffers from anxiety and depression, had been using drugs to ‘block everything out’ as it was close to the anniversary of her husband’s death.
Miss Chatterton added Duffield ‘took the risk’ of driving down the one-way road in the wrong direction as she was rushing to aid her elderly mother, who was having issues with neighbours behaving in an anti-social manner.
“Roadworks were taking place, but there were no traffic lights,” she continued.
“One half of the road had been shut off and for a short period there is a one-way system in place.
“She was anxious to get to her mum to help her out. She saw nothing was coming and took the risk.”
Duffield pleaded guilty to two drug-drive charges and one charge of cannabis possession.
She was disqualified for 36 months and fined £120.
Duffield was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.
No separate penalty was imposed for cannabis possession, but magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drug.