Woman charged with a catalogue of offences had drugs, including cocaine and diazepam, in her system when stopped by PSNI in Lisburn, court hears

Heather Michelle Hamilton, aged 36, whose address was given as Langley Road in Ballynahinch, appeared before the court charged with using a vehicle in a dangerous condition, having no driving licence, possession of Class A drugs, namely cocaine, driving whilst unit through drink or drugs, and the driver being unable to properly control the vehicle.

The court heard that on July 7, 2024 at 8.40am, police on the Hillsborough Road in Lisburn observed a Vauxhall Corsa at the traffic lights.

It was stated that officers believed the defendant, who was driving the vehicle, had a mobile phone in her hand and was distracted from the road.

The vehicle was stopped and police spoke with the defendant.

It was reported that drug paraphernalia could be seen in the vehicle, including burnt foil and foil wraps.

When exiting the vehicle, the defendant failed to secure the handbrake and the car began to roll.

The police also reported that a small bag of white powder had fallen from the defendant’s pocket.

Checks further showed that she had been disqualified from driving and had not retaken her test on the completion of the disqualification period.

A blood test showed that the defendant had a number of drugs in her system at the time, including cocaine and diazepam.

The defendant’s vehicle was checked and noted to be in a state of disrepair, with heavy wear and cracking on the tyres, the battery hadn’t been secured, and the windscreen was cracked.

District Judge Rosie Watters adjourned the case for sentencing until July 3.