Troubled former reality TV personality’s win in court after drug driving

A troubled former reality TV star will be back on the roads in a year after she was busted driving while under the influence of drugs.

Jordan Ray Finlayson wore a loose fitting black jumper as she beamed into the NSW District Court via audiovisual link on Tuesday from a residential rehabilitation centre.

She asked the court to reconsider the two year driving ban she received when she was convicted of driving under the influence of drugs and driving with drugs in her system.

Court documents reveal the 33-year-old was high on meth when she crashed her white Toyota Yaris into a guardrail in western Sydney just before 4am on February 7 last year.

When police arrived on scene, she was unconscious in the driver’s seat before waking when officers opened the car door.

According to officers, the former Beauty and the Geek contestant leant over to the passenger side of the car and muttered “hey babe” to the empty seat.

Police noticed she was acting erratically, struggled to stand up, and could not answer questions asked by officers except to say she had drunk alcohol.

A subsequent blood test showed Finlayson had gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and ice in her system at the time of the crash.

Months later, the former model was caught driving with crystal meth in her system when she was stopped by police for a random roadside drug test in Sydney’s east.

In addition to an 18-month community corrections order, she was disqualified from driving for two years for the first offence and six months for the second.

On Tuesday, her lawyer Claudia McCristal argued Finlayson’s driving disqualification periods should both be reduced by half.

“Given the fact … she’s gone above and beyond in terms of her rehabilitation, the court would consider the minimum disqualification periods,” she said.

Ms McCristal told the court it was clear Finlayson had a “long history of mental health issues” and a “relatively long history of drug dependency”, but she was making a committed effort to overcome her struggles.

“That’s the hallmark of addiction. It’s a journey and it’s an ongoing battle,” she said.

Preventing the former NRL cheerleader from driving for “such a long period of time” could be counter-productive and may prevent her becoming a contributing member of society, her lawyer argued.

“It would be a roadblock to her rehabilitation,” Ms McCristal said.

She noted Finlayson agreed driving under the influence of drugs was “very serious” and understood “the danger it poses to the community”.

The appeal was not opposed by the Crown prosecutor, who said she had “no issue” with reducing the disqualification period.

Judge John Pickering stressed Finlayson’s driving history “wasn’t great” but said he was swayed by the “extensive evidence of her rehabilitation”.

“She has clearly been and continues to be very dedicated in dealing with her substance abuse issues,” he said.

“In my view, that alone justified intervening in what the magistrate did (in imposing the longer driving disqualification periods).”

The judge reduced Finlayson’s first driving ban from two years to 12 months, and lessened the second disqualification period from six months to three months.

The court was told the former dancer will be able to get behind a wheel in one year – or less if NSW Roads and Maritime Services deems the disqualification period can be backdated.

There was no appeal against her 18-month community corrections order, 150 hours of community service, or $500 fine.