Drug-driver has ‘turned her life around’ since committing offences last year

A drug-driver was disqualified for a year and a half after she was found to be over the limit on two different kinds of substances.Lauren Hardy, 24, of Plough Lane in Watlington, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where she admitted four offences.She pleaded guilty to two counts of driving above the specified drug limit as well as driving without a valid licence or insurance.

Prosecutor Paul Brown explained that the offences took place on September 2 last year at 3am, when Hardy was driving down Loke Road and was pulled over by police after they realised that she was driving with no insurance.Officers asked her to carry out a drug test, which came back positive for 3mcg of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a cannabis breakdown, per litre of blood. The legal limit to drive is 2mcg. The test also showed Hardy was over the limit on cocaine, a Class A drug. She was arrested and taken into police custody.In mitigation, George Sorrell explained that Hardy was associating with the wrong kinds of people at the time of the offence and has since “turned her life around”.“She has changed her life, in the past she associated with the wrong people and made poor choices with friends and boyfriends.“She will continue to make progress, it is a very happy story from her point of view.”Magistrates disqualified Hardy from driving for 18 months and fined her £583. She will also pay a victim surcharge of £233 and court costs of £105.