A WOMAN who was caught drug driving twice, including once at the Bournemouth Airport car park, has received a suspended prison sentence.

Debi Jane Morris pleaded guilty to two counts of driving with benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine – in her blood in excess of the legal limit.

The 41-year-old, who previously received a suspended sentence in 2018 after admitting being concerned in supply of a class A drug, appeared for sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, February 15.

Judge Stephen Climie decided against sending her directly to prison due to her significant rehabilitation progress and the lack of any other offending since the driving matters.

Prosecuting, Gavin Pottinger said Morris's first drug driving incident occurred on April 17, 2019, when she was stopped in Bournemouth Airport's car park reversing out of a space, having appeared to have missed her flight.

She seemed to have been under the influence and provided a positive drug wipe test.

A subsequent blood sample found 200 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood – the limit is 50 micrograms.

Mr Pottinger said the next offence occurred on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, when Morris was stopped shortly before 9am in Belben Road, Poole.

She told officers she had been at a party the previous weekend. On this occasion, a blood sample found she had 800 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood.

The defendant had breached conditional discharge and suspended sentence orders with the drug driving offences.

Mitigating, Rob Griffiths read a letter in court, which had been written by the defendant.

She said she had been "working hard to make improvements" and she had not used illicit substances since Judge Climie had deferred sentence on the Bournemouth Airport incident last year.

Morris, of St George's Drive, Bournemouth, said she hoped to move out of the Bournemouth area for a fresh start.

Mr Griffiths said: "The progress she has made so far is good but this is a long-standing problem."

Judge Climie said Morris had committed "serious offences", which crossed the custody threshold.

He noted the progress the defendant had made under a previous drug rehabilitation requirement, adding that he had been persuaded to give her a "further opportunity".

"You haven't committed any further offences since February last year, which is a major step forward in your case," said the judge.

Morris was handed a five-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with a requirement to complete up to 30 rehabilitation activity days.

She was given a mandatory three-year disqualification from driving, with no action taken in relation to the breaches of the conditional discharge and suspended sentence.

  • The Daily Echo requested Morris's custody picture, but this was declined by Dorset Police.