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Mum took drugs before crash

Michelle Lee Blake outside court. Picture: Steve Ferrier/The West Australian

An unlicensed driver who got behind the wheel after ingesting a cocktail of drugs and alcohol was jailed yesterday for killing her friend in a car crash.

Michelle Lee Blake, of Clarkson, had methylamphetamine and cannabis in her system and returned a blood alcohol reading in excess of 0.07 after the November 27 crash that killed Morley mother-of-one Kim Jade Green.

The District Court was told Blake's driver's licence had been suspended just days earlier for accumulated demerit points.

The 28-year-old mother of two was yesterday sentenced to four years jail and had her driver's licence suspended for five years.

Blake told crash investigators she and Ms Green were singing and looking at each other when she lost control of the Holden Commodore on Hepburn Avenue in Kingsley.

The pair had been in a "euphoric state" after renewing a dormant friendship earlier in the day.

Ms Green had also consumed drugs and alcohol.

Witnesses said Blake was travelling more than 150km/h in the 70km/h zone but police were never able to officially determine a speed.

Blake later said she was in a rush to get home because it was getting dark and the car's headlights did not work.

The court was told Ms Green was initially driving the car, which belonged to her boyfriend, and the vehicle was involved in a traffic infringement before the crash.

However, it was not clear who was driving at the time.

An extract from a letter written by Ms Green's father Neil said he and his wife held no animosity towards Blake because "the roles could have been reversed".

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Patrick O'Neal questioned why Blake and the deceased did not pay for a taxi when they had enough money to afford drugs and alcohol.

He said Blake had co-operated with police apart from first denying she was the one behind the wheel at the crash scene. Judge O'Neal took into account that Blake's children - aged five and two - would not benefit from having their mother behind bars.

He accepted that Blake was remorseful and had since had counselling.

However, he said her "severe intoxication" at the time of the accident warranted nothing less than a jail term.

Blake will be eligible for parole in two years.