Concerned police found woman on drugs

Jim Clare, prosecuting at Boston Magistrates Court, said Rachel Knox, of Roman Bank, was stopped in her Suzuki Swift in the late evening of September 14 last year in Scarborough Avenue, with two other people in the car.

He said Knox, who admitted an offence of driving under the influence of drugs, gave a positive drugs wipe and analysis showed she had 35 microgrammes of cocaine in her blood, the legal limit being 10.

Mitigating, Philippa Chatterton said Knox had no previous convictions and until three years ago had had a responsible job.

But, she said, she had had to look after first her father and then her mother until both went into different hospitals.

She said her partner then left her and she ended up losing her job and being medicated for depression.

Ms Chatterton said that such is the concern for her that the mental health team is monitoring her every day.

She said a friend had recommended she use cocaine to help with her depression and she had started self-medicating, but was now working with Addaction and testing negative.

She said Knox had not taken any on that day but there were concerns about her safety, which was why the police had gone to look for her, and there had been no complaints about her driving.

Knox was banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay a fine of £120 and £117 in court costs and

charges.