Grandmother Samantha Eaton Banned from Driving After Failing Cannabis Test on Way to School Pickup

Bebington, Wirral – August 2025 — A 34-year-old grandmother has been banned from driving for three years after being caught over the legal limit for cannabis while on her way to collect her daughter from school.

Samantha Eaton, a mother-of-two and former carer from Bebington, Merseyside, was stopped during a routine police check while driving her Citroën Xsara. Officers found she had 2.7mg of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) per litre of blood — above the legal limit of 2mg for the psychoactive component in cannabis.

Eaton had smoked cannabis the night before, claiming it was to help her sleep after experiencing panic attacks and trauma linked to a petrol bomb attack at her home the previous year.

Prior Convictions and Court Appearance

At Sefton Magistrates’ Court, Eaton pleaded guilty to drug-driving. The court heard she had previous convictions, including:

• Drink-driving (banned for 19 months in 2020)

• Possession of Class A drugs

• Being drunk and disorderly

• An insurance-related driving offence

She was fined £160, ordered to pay £264 in court costs and surcharges, and received a three-year driving ban due to her previous driving convictions.

Eaton: “I didn’t think I’d be over the limit”

Representing herself in court, Eaton told the magistrate she was a single mother caring for a child with special needs, and had used cannabis at night to sleep, after having bad experiences with prescription sleeping pills.

“I would never dream of picking up the kids if I knew I was over the limit,” she said. “I only had one [joint] the night before.”

Her father even paid for a private blood test to challenge the police result — but it confirmed she was still over the limit.

Trauma and Relocation After Petrol Bomb Attack

In court, Eaton also revealed she had fled her home after a petrol bomb attack in 2023 linked to her ex-partner’s criminal history. She said she had no connection to the attackers, but was forced to move with her children for their safety.

“I was in the bedroom when they petrol bombed the front door,” she recalled. “It was horrendous and traumatic.”

Eaton said the relocation had left her isolated, and that driving was crucial for accessing schools, doctors, and support networks.

Judge’s Warning: “Illegal drugs are not the answer”

Judge Timothy Boswell acknowledged that Eaton had not driven erratically and showed no signs of impairment when stopped. However, he reminded her: “Cannabis is an illegal drug and can impair your judgment. You’ve clearly been through trauma, but I am sure you now realise illegal drugs are not the answer.”

The Bigger Picture: Drug-Driving on the Rise

Eaton’s case comes amid a worrying trend — with drug-driving deaths rising by 164% in the past decade in the UK, according to government statistics.