Driving ban for Borehamwood woman

A woman from Borehamwood has been given a 16-month driving ban after testing positive for cocaine and cannabis during a police stop.

The Borehamwood and Elstree Neighbourhood Policing Team stopped Marina Freed, aged 44, after spotting her BMW driving erratically in Ripon Way just before midnight on 14 December 2025.

When she got out the car, Freed, of Dales Road, was reported to have smelt strongly of cannabis.

Freed was detained for a search under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. This uncovered a spliff which had just been put out and a small bag of cannabis. She tested positive for cannabis and cocaine on a drugs wipe test and was subsequently taken to custody. 

Freed appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Thursday 6 August and was given a 16-month driving disqualification for driving in excess of drugs. She was also handed a £200 fine, an £80 surcharge and she must pay £85 in costs. She had already been issued a Community Resolution in relation to the cannabis.

PC Ffallon Williams, from the Borehamwood and Elstree Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “There is no excuse for driving under the influence of drugs and putting the lives of innocent motorists and pedestrians in danger. It can have catastrophic consequences. Luckily in this case, we caught Freed before her driving could put any other road users at risk. Hopefully Freed will spend the next 16 months reflecting on her behaviour, and in the meantime Borehamwood’s roads are free from the danger she presented that night.”