A woman faced court on Boxing Day after police discovered her driving an unregistered vehicle while disqualified and subsequently refusing drug testing.

The incident unfolded on Friday afternoon when Barrier Highway Patrol officers spotted a red Holden Commodore travelling north along Sulphide Street near Blende Street in Broken Hill.

Officers recognised the vehicle from earlier in the day when they had seen it parked outside a nearby restaurant, and checks revealed its registration had been cancelled since October 2025.

When police stopped the vehicle around 1:30pm, the driver was unable to produce a licence. She told officers she was disqualified from holding one. Further questioning established the vehicle was not being driven for any purpose that would exempt it from registration requirements.

Police administered a breath test which returned a negative result for alcohol. However, when officers attempted to conduct a roadside drug test, the woman refused to comply. Despite being clearly warned that refusal constituted an offence, she maintained her position and was placed under arrest.

The situation escalated at Broken Hill police station where the driver was required to provide an oral fluid sample for laboratory analysis. Once again, she refused to comply with the testing requirements.

The woman now faces seven charges including driving while disqualified, two counts of refusing drug tests, using an unregistered and uninsured vehicle on the road, failing to return number plates after registration cancellation, and allowing an unregistered vehicle to stand.

She was refused bail and appeared before court the following day on Saturday 27th December. The case highlights the serious consequences that can flow from compounding traffic offences, particularly when combined with refusing lawful police testing requirements.