Mother-of-three Paige Thomason hit 120 miles per hour on the M58 while high on crack cocaine and heroin in July 2019 and was handed a suspended sentence. She was today sentenced for another drugs offence
A 28-year-old beautician who avoided prison after leading police on a car chase while high on crack cocaine has been spared jail again after being caught in possession of the same drug.
Mother-of-three Paige Thomason hit 120mph on the M58 while high on crack cocaine and heroin in July 2019 and was handed a suspended sentence.
She then breached the conditions of her old sentence when she was caught with crack cocaine in July last year.
But she was given another chance today after a judge at Liverpool Crown Court deemed it ‘unjust’ to send her to prison for the offence.
Police raided a home in Bootle, Merseyside, on July 30, 2020 and found Thomason inside.
She was with a man, Richard Wright, who was arrested.
An officer saw ‘Ms Thomason sat on the couch’ in front of a ‘small drug table where drug paraphernalia was placed’, prosecutor Andrew Judge told the court.
The officer also saw her ‘pick up what he believed to be crack cocaine’ before he seized it and put it back on the table.
Thomason was charged with possession of crack cocaine following an interview on October 28.
In total, Thomason has had three convictions for eight offences.
On March 10, 2020, she was sentenced for dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, without a licence and without insurance following the car chase the previous year.
She also failed to provide a sample for drugs testing on request.
Simon Duncan, who prosecuted the driving case, said police desperately attempted to stop Thomason on July 12, 2019, but ‘she really did put her foot down’.
She was travelling at 50mph in a 30mph zone shortly after 2am.
Thomason soared through five sets of red traffic lights before hitting 120mph on the M58. She then drove at 100mph in a 40mph zone.
Police caught her when she slowed down, got out of her car and fled on foot.
She was given an eight-month sentence suspended for two years and was banned from driving for three years.
Thomason was ordered to carry out a 25-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a six-month Drug Rehabilitation Requirement
She was also slapped with a three-month home curfew from 7pm to 7am daily.
Her latest offence – in 2020 – was in breach of the suspended sentence and she faced being sent to jail as a result.
But Jo Maxwell, defending, asked the judge to impose a drug testing and rehabilitation requirement (DRR) rather than impose a prison sentence.
She said: ‘I do not say that lightly, I have taken full instruction and she instills upon me the previous DRR was extremely helpful for her.’
She was given another chance at Liverpool Crown Court (file image, pictured) today – after a judge deemed it ‘unjust’ to send her to prison for the offence
The requirement is a rigorous programme which sees people undergo regular drug testing, treatment and court reviews to monitor progress, she said.
Ms Maxwell also referred to an updated report from Thomason’s case manager, who recommended a two-year community order should be imposed.
Thomason, of Walton, admitted one count of possession of crack cocaine.
Judge Anil Murray, sentencing Thomason, said: ‘If you want to get yourself sent to prison you’re going the right way about it.
‘You were given a chance on March 10.’
The judge said he would activate the sentence ‘unless it is unjust to do so’, adding ‘I am persuaded on this occasion it would be unjust.
‘I am told your engagement has been good, you completed a previous DRR.’
Judge Murray was told Thomason continued to engage with the drug service.
She was yesterday handed a one-year community order with a one-year DRR requirement.
She must also complete five Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
As he passed sentence the judge said: ‘If you commit more offences and you find yourself here the judge isn’t going to have much choice but to send you to prison.’