Man from Howey guilty of two counts of drug driving

A MOTORIST found with cocaine and cannabis in his system is likely to be sacked after a court banned him from the road for 23 months.

Adam King, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving when appearing at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court this week.

King, of Mill View Close, Howey, was five times the legal driving limit for cocaine and over twice the legal limit for cannabis when police stopped him driving a silver Audi A4 on Chapel Road in the village on June 13.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies said: “Police were on duty in a patrol car in Howey and saw a silver Audi A4 on Chapel Road.

“They stopped the car and there was a strong smell of cannabis and the defendant appeared nervous and evasive. A roadside drug swipe was positive.”

A later blood test revealed there to be 251 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood – the specified limit is 50mcg, while the reading for cannabis was 4.6 micrograms per litre, the legal limit being 2mcg.

Owain Jones, acting on King’s behalf, said: “There were no other aggravating factors, no evidence of bad driving.

“He has a letter from his employer saying any ban will result in him losing his employment. He has a mortgage to pay so a ban will be a real problem. He cooperated fully with police and entered an early guilty plea.”

Due to there being a combination of drugs in his system, magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report from probation. Officer Rachael Lonsdale said King had been doing drugs the previous night had got “carried away”.

“There was drug use the night before, but he did not feel impaired,” said Ms Lonsdale.

“He has a strong work ethic. He has worked since he was 16 and he is motivated to find new employment.

“The biggest area of concern is his drug use. He smokes cannabis every day and has for around 20 years. It’s clear he has some problems. He takes cocaine recreationally. On this occasion he was with friends he hadn’t seen in a while so he got carried away. But he is motivated to change.”

In addition to disqualifying King from driving for just shy of two years, magistrates also ordered him to serve a 12-month community order, including 60 hours of unpaid work and five recreational activity days. He must also pay a £95 surcharge and £85 costs.

County Times | Llandrindod Wells & Rhayader