A DRUG-DRIVER was caught out after 'dabbling' with cocaine when her relationship broke down.

Collen Johnson admitted drug-driving when she appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

She had been arrested after police, who said they could smell cannabis on her, asked her to take a roadside drug test on June 9, prosecutor Shafquat Reaz told the court.

The test had not picked up cannabis but returned a positive result for cocaine, and an evidential test in custody revealed Johnson had 17 microgrammes of cocaine and 800 microgrammes of cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The legal limits are 10 and 50.

Christ Read, for Johnson, said it was a "somewhat odd" matter, and that the 35-year-old had been arrested after police visited her home in relation to an unrelated issue.

"She was not there, so officers called her and asked her to return home," Mr Read said.

"She drove home, and when she arrived, police said they could smell cannabis and the drug-drive test was carried out, which found her to be positive for cocaine.

"There were no aggravating features and she had driven home at the request of police. In hindsight, she should have said she was unable to, but she did not and finds herself in court today. At the time of this incident she had separated from her partner and had become somewhat depressed. She says she started dabbling with cocaine but has since reconciled with her partner and is no longer taking cocaine."

Johnson, of Bateman Close, Shobdon, was fined £100 and disqualified from driving for 12 months. She must also pay costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.