Dancer, 27, caught drug-driving just 72 hours after she was released from custody over the same offence avoids jail

A glamorous dancer who was arrested for drug-driving twice in just three days has avoided jail and escaped with a £133 fine.

Shannon McFadden, 27, of Litherland, was stopped by police last January and tested almost twice the limit for cannabis whilst driving her blue Ford Fiesta through the Sefton area of Merseyside. 

She was subsequently released from custody but just 72 hours later was caught again under the influence of the drug after officers stopped her in Liverpool city centre and smelt cannabis inside the vehicle.

Tests showed she was again almost twice the limit for the Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.

When quizzed McFadden, who sings with an all-girl group and has danced in various stage shows in the city, said she suffers from ADHD and was a carer for her mother.

Dancer Shannon McFadden, 27, pictured outside of Sefton magistrates court

A court heard she was given a 12 month driving ban for the first drug driving matter in March when she was already under investigation for the second.

McFadden was given a second 12 month road ban at Sefton magistrates court and was ordered to pay £133 in costs after she admitted guilt for the second matter.

It is not known why the court did not deal with the two offences together but there was a delay in processing the second drug sample which was blamed on a 'backlog' and a 'lack of resources.' The maximum sentence for drug driving is six months jail.

Edward Handley, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant has pleaded guilty to driving with a specified drug above the limit, namely THC, a cannabis derivative.

'On January 7 at 0.13am, officer Costello cautioned and arrested the defendant after he had cause to stop the defendant's vehicle. 

'On speaking to the defendant he could smell drugs in the vehicle. He asked for a specimen of a saliva for a DrugWipe which was positive for drugs.'

The court heard in the first incident, tests showed McFadden was driving with 3.2 micrograms of THC per litre in her blood whilst on the second she tested 3.4mg. The legal limit is 2mg.

In mitigation McFadden's lawyer Lionel Greig said: 'The defendant should be given full credit for her guilty plea. 

'She is a young lady of 27 years who cares for her mum and in receipt of Universal Credit. Obviously, she is very disappointed to find herself before the court. 

'She is a young lady who clearly has emotional issues. I have been told she suffers from ADHD.

'The matter could have been explored had both sets of proceedings been dealt with on the same occasion. I appreciate it takes time for the drug analysis to come through. Unfortunately I was not there in March when the court would have seen the antecedents and seen that this matter was pending.'

Sentencing McFadden, Deputy District Judge Imran Hussain told her: 'What displeases the court is that you were arrested on 4 January, taken to a police station, provided a blood sample and arrested for drug driving, and then knowing all of this three days later you decided to again get behind the wheel of a car and again you were arrested for drug driving. That is an aggravating factor.

'If you had appeared in court in March for the two offences of drug driving on that occasion the court would have had to consider whether to involve the probation service. This is no criticism of the CPS. The blood samples take time, resources are limited and there is a backlog.

'I appreciate that since 7 January you have not been arrested for any other matters and apart from these there is nothing at all on your record so I have stepped back from giving you a greater punishment than a fine.

'But if you drive a car when you are under the influence of drugs you are a danger to everybody else and yourself.'