A WOMAN has avoided jail despite being caught in a car that reeked of cannabis after she made a bizarre claim to police.
Morgan Steadman-Dempsey, 21, was parked up with pals when passing cops noticed the smell coming from her car.
The business development administrator took a drug test and was found to be three-and-a-half times the legal limit.
But Steadman-Dempsey claimed she had not smoked cannabis since attending New Year parties a week earlier.
She also said she had no idea traces of the drug would still be in her system.
Steadman-Dempsey later admitted being in charge of a vehicle when over the limit for cannabis despite her initial claims.
But she was speared a jail sentence and instead slapped with ten points on her driving licence.
Sentencing Steadman-Dempsey, chairperson of the magistrates Pauline Taylor said: “People do not generally realise how long the drug can stay in your system and could impair your judgement.
“We need to keep people safe and road users safe.”
Tameside Magistrates’ Court heard Steadman-Dempsey was caught by police on January 8 while out in the town.
Emilee Creasey, prosecuting, said: “The circumstances were that officers saw the defendant in a vehicle, with the vehicle running.
“They approached the vehicle and the officers smelt a strong smell of cannabis. There were three passengers in the vehicle.
“The defendant was asked to provide a drug wipe, which tested positive for cannabis.
“She has then been arrested and taken into custody where she was required to provide a blood sample.”
The court was told Steadman-Dempsey had seven micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per litre of blood.
The legal limit of THC – the principal active ingredient in cannabis – when driving is two mg/l.
In mitigation, solicitor Jennifer Clarke said Steadman-Dempsey “cooperated with police at the scene”.
She added: “She stressed she had not known that she would have been over the limit for the cannabis found in her system. The date of the offence was January 8.
“She recognises she was using cannabis over the New Year period and accepts that it was still in her system.
“In her personal statement, she outlines feeling extremely ashamed coming to court. She is extremely remorseful and apologetic.”
As well as the points on her licence, Steadman-Dempsey was fined £369 and ordered to pay £233 in costs.
