From Chlorophyll Defence to Drug Allegations: A Mother's Legal Ordeal
A Sydney private school mother who successfully avoided conviction for high-range drink-driving by blaming her skincare regime now faces fresh allegations after flipping her Mercedes SUV with drugs allegedly present in her system.
Natasha Jansen, 49, first attracted media attention in July 2024 when she was discovered asleep outside her children's school in the affluent Northbridge area on Sydney's lower north shore. Initial breath tests revealed an astonishing alcohol reading nearly five times the legal limit.
The Unusual Defence That Secured Acquittal
In a remarkable legal outcome on August 11, Hornsby Local Court dismissed the high-range drink-driving charge against Jansen after her legal team presented an extraordinary explanation for the elevated readings.
Her solicitor, Michael Bowe, successfully argued that Jansen's consumption of chlorophyll supplements combined with a reflux condition could have produced inaccurate breath test results. The court heard she had consumed two 500ml bottles of Grants liquid chlorophyll before falling asleep outside the school.
Neuropharmacology expert Professor Macdonald Christie testified that the amount of chlorophyll Jansen consumed should have resulted in a blood alcohol reading of 0.12 or lower - below the 0.15 threshold for high-range drink-driving.
Police footage presented to the court showed Jansen appearing steady on her feet, not displaying behaviour consistent with someone allegedly five times over the legal limit. Magistrate Margaret McGlynn accepted the defence's arguments and dismissed the charge.
New Incident Sparks Fresh Legal Troubles
Less than three weeks after her acquittal, on August 29, Jansen's vehicle was involved in another serious incident on Kameruka Road at Northbridge.
Police allege Jansen flipped her Mercedes SUV after colliding with two parked cars around 11.30am. Photographs from the scene showed the vehicle on its side in the middle of the road, with builders from a nearby workplace assisting her from the wreckage.
While Jansen returned a positive roadside alcohol test at the scene, she subsequently refused to undergo further breath analysis at Chatswood police station. She was initially charged with negligent driving and failing to submit to breath analysis.
Additional Drug Driving Charge Revealed
The Daily Mail has now revealed that on October 27, Jansen was hit with an additional charge of driving with an illicit drug present in her system.
This new development came after her brief appearance at Hornsby Local Court on October 16, where she faced only the original two charges. Court documents obtained by 7News indicate Jansen acknowledged having "a history of alcoholism" and being unemployed with two dependent children.
Police stated in court documents that "the accused appears to have been intoxicated while driving a vehicle leading to a collision that by luck did not result in the injury/death to a person".
Emergency services were called to Kameruka Road following reports of the accident, with one resident, Francoise, describing the scene as "like a movie set" and hearing that "the car actually went airborne".
Jansen received treatment from paramedics for minor injuries at the scene. When questioned by reporters outside court last month about whether she had "a problem with alcohol, Ms Jansen, or just chlorophyll?", the mother-of-two remained silent with her head down.
Jansen is scheduled to face court regarding her latest charges on Thursday, marking the next chapter in this ongoing legal saga that has captured public attention.
