A MUM-of-three has been fined for refusing to provide a sample for drug testing after being arrested.

Rachel Anne McLoughlin questioned whether she needed to be at Brecon Police Station on June 25 this year after she had been arrested for theft. Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court heard this week that the investigation of theft into the 42-year-old came to nothing and that she refused to provide a sample for a Class A drug test.

McLoughlin, of Wellington Road, Llandrindod, admitted the offence at court on Wednesday, August 3.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies said the defendant was charged with failing without good cause to provide a non-intimate sample for the purpose of ascertaining whether she had drugs in her body.

“The defendant was in the police station, having been arrested for a ‘trigger’ related offence,” said Mr Davies.

“As part of the trigger related testing system, she was required to provide a saliva sample. She decided not to. Initially said she would, but then told officers ‘no, I want to be referred to Kaleidoscope, I have work in the morning’.”

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Mr Davies said she had one previous matter, dating back to 2015.

Rob Hanratty, acting for McLoughlin, said: “She was arrested for a totally unrelated matter and nothing came of that.

“She was due to start work early the next morning. She indicated she wanted legal advice, but the duty solicitor was slow in responding, so she questioned whether she needed to be there.

“She was desperate to get out of the police station as she had work. She has three young children and is a very busy lady, who can ill afford to pay a fine but I ask you to discharge her with a fine. Unfortunately, she came to the attention of a police investigation, which came to nothing. The trigger offence was to do with dishonesty which came to nothing.”

Magistrates fined McLoughlin £135 and ordered her to pay £85 costs and a £54 surcharge.