Businesswoman, 30, who racked up five drug-driving convictions found with powder in car after smash – but AVOIDS jail

A BUSINESSWOMAN who racked up five drug-driving convictions has avoided jail after crashing her car. Lucy Newall was repeatedly pulled over by police after becoming hooked on deadly party drug ketamine. Lucy Newall has racked up five drug-driving convictions Credit: Cavendish She was caught in her car with a white powder Credit: Cavendish The 30-year-old was arrested twice in two months and on each occasion found to be eight times the drug-drive limit. In one of the incidents, Newall ploughed her £30,000 Cupra SUV into a set of railings. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Police found traces of suspicious white powder – once on a bank card and then a rolled up £5 note – during both arrests. Newall, who ran a care company, faced 12 weeks jail after she pleaded guilty to being in charge of vehicle whilst the influence of drugs and drug driving. But she was instead sent on a nine-month drug rehabilitation programme after revealing how her Ketamine habit had left her with bladder issues and bed bound with severe pain. She was also banned from driving for five years. Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard the first of Newall’s two latest arrests took place at 9.45pm on January 3 this year. Police had spotted her in Liverpool sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2025 Peugeot 208 with the engine running. Most read in The Sun Newall got hooked on the drug after an abusive relationship, a court heard Credit: Cavendish She has been spared jail Credit: Cavendish When officers searched the car, they found a bankcard in the centre console with traces of a white powder on it and a snap bag. Newall was later found to have 160 micrograms of ketamine per litre of blood in her system – the legal limit being 20mg. She was released but on March 11, arrested again after crashing her recently registered Cupra Formentor VT into pedestrian railings. Officers spoke to Newall and searched the car, where they found remnants of white powder around the central console and on a £5 note rolled into a tube in the driver’s footwell. She again failed a roadside drugs wipe test and was taken into custody for a blood test, which showed 160mg of ketamine per litre of blood in her system. The test also showed the presence of cocaine but below the drug-drive limit. The court heard her ketamine habit had left her with bladder issuesCredit: Refer to source Newall will have to undergo a drug rehabilitation order Credit: Cavendish Details of Newall’s previous drug-driving convictions were not disclosed during the hearing. But her lawyer Elizabeth Manning said: “They correlate with her drug addiction issues and significant life trauma that she has suffered. “She was in a traumatic abusive relationship and sought solace in ketamine use. But it spiralled out of control. ”She did manage at one stage to get it in hand but following the loss of both grandmothers she found herself in the cycle as before, this time more serious, resulting in health problems which meant she was out of work. “She is really suffering as a result and has problems with her bladder at the moment. Sometimes she is able to go about her business. Other days, she is bed bound due to the pain and she is seeking help with that. “She has put herself in rehab before but has struggled again and she does not want to be in this position. She does not want to be before the court. She desperately wants to be back in work in the care sector.” As well as a rehabilitation order, Newall was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity as part of a 12 month community order and was fined £100 with £199 in costs and a surcharge. District Judge Mary Dowrick told her: ”I have heard about the trauma you have suffered, more recently but also in childhood. ”I know you have health issues and I can take this into account. More importantly, you pleaded guilty at the first occasion in court and because of these mitigating factors I do think I can step back from a custodial sentence.” Ketamine use in Britain is surging to record levels – with increasing numbers of young people becoming hooked on the drug. The drug causes a raft of devastating health effects, including addiction, wrecked bladders, and excruciating pain. There were 696 deaths recorded by coroners during the 25 years between 1999 and 2024, with nearly a fifth of them in the most recent year alone.