A beautician who was found with hippy crack stashed in her BMW when she was pulled over by police for driving erratically has been spared jail.
Sana Aslim, 38, claimed she had taken the several containers of nitrous oxide discovered in her vehicle on June 25 last year from a friend for 'safekeeping'.
Cops attempted to pull her over shortly after 7pm near Warrington when she was spotted swerving along the carriageway, only narrowly avoiding other cars, with a burst tyre.
But Aslim refused to stop and was seen 'laughing and waving' at officers as she trundled along at 20mph. When she eventually obliged, the mother failed to give a roadside Field Impairment Test or a sample in the police station.
During questioning, Aslim said she sustained the burst tyre during her journey from a friend's house that night, and claimed she only 'momentarily' failed to stop for police.
The beautician, who owns a business in Liverpool and lives in a plush townhouse near Altrincham, Greater Manchester, also claimed her 'waving' from the wheel was merely a way of indicating that she would stop when she felt it safe to do so.
Aslim faced up to 18 months behind bars at Warrington Magistrates' Court this week after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, failing to provide a sample for analysis, driving a vehicle in a condition likely to cause danger of injury and possession of Class C drug nitrous oxide.
But a judge handed down a sentence of 20 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, after her explanation was accepted by prosecutors.
Miss Diana Pryzemecka, prosecuting, said: 'Police received an emergency call reporting that a black BMW was travelling westbound on the M56 and swerving all over the road.
'Subsequently officers made their way to the location, got behind the vehicle and used their emergency lights and siren. However the defendant failed to pull over. The front tyre was completely off the wheel and driving on the rim.
'Another officer attended and got alongside the defendant who was travelling in lane one at 20mph. The defendant started to wave at the officer and at no time did she make any attempt to pull over.
'She continued along the motorway and it looked like she was going to stop on several occasions but she continued to drive. The officer pulled alongside the defendant and again she just continued to smile and wave at the officer again.
'The officer could see that the defendant was smoking and she kept laughing. She was not looking where she was going and swerving between the lanes. Tactical pursuit tactics were used and the vehicle was brought to a stop.'
Aslim had no previous convictions. In mitigation defence solicitor Mr Adil Khan said she had been diagnosed as suffering with anxiety and panic attacks, which she experiences when under stress.
He told JPs : 'You have seen the basis of plea. There were no issues taken with that. She was driving her vehicle when the tyre burst. At the time she was approximately 10 minutes away from her own address and she accepts failing to stop for the police, momentarily.
'She accepts being in possession of the nitrous oxide in the vehicle but had no intention of inhaling it. It did not belong to her. It was left in the vehicle by another.
'She said she attended at a friend's address but there was a dispute between the friend and her partner and she has effectively taken it. She has not inhaled it and not taken it while driving. In relation to failing to provide a sample, you have seen the material from the GP.'
Mr Khan added: 'She has written a letter to the court in which she expresses a great deal of remorse. She is a low risk of re-offending and never wants to be in this position again. She wants to put her children first and family first.
'She has a husband who is in the hospital having had two strokes. She is in a really dark place at present.'
Aslim was also ordered to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activity and was banned from driving for 18 months. She was told she would need to take an extended driving test before she can get her driving license back and was also made to pay £354 in costs and a surcharge.
JP Katherine Whitaker told Aslim: 'From reading all the information we have been given, we have read the report, we believe it was a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road and you did drive for a prolonged period of time. However, you won't be going to prison today. We feel there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and there are dependents who rely on you.'