A Newport man who was stopped by Police just a day after he had taken some cocaine at a friend’s birthday party has been banned from the roads for 12 months.
Darren Stride, 48, of Flint Path, admitted in charge of a motor vehicle with proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit and driving a motor vehicle otherwise in accordance with a licence when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Tuesday (28th January).
Prosecutor Lauren McConnell told the court that on the evening of 6th June 2024, Police stopped a vehicle on Field Lane in St Helens for reasons unknown to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Upon being stopped, Stride exited the vehicle and confirmed to Police that he was not in possession of a valid driving licence.
A roadside drugs wipe conducted at the scene returned a positive result for cocaine. The court heard how blood tests later revealed a BZE reading of no less than 315, which was more than 6x the specified limit of 50. A small, below-limit amount of cocaine was also recorded on the blood tests.
Magistrates heard that Stride has numerous relevant convictions including 2 driving with excess alcohol convictions from 1998 and 1999 as well as driving whilst disqualified convictions from 2005 and 2013.
Defending, Nick Muir told the court that Stride had used cocaine the night before he was stopped whilst at a friend’s birthday party. Mr Muir also told the court that on the evening in question, Stride had said yes to a friend who had asked him for a lift.
When quizzed by Magistrates as to why he had no valid licence at the time, Stride explained that he had never re-applied for his licence following the end of a previous disqualification period.
Magistrates handed the 48-year-old a 12-month driving ban and fined him £120. He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and £48 surcharge fee.
WTF? Is there ever going to be a punishment that will stop these stupid irresponsible people? I like everyone else probably thinks when they read this, are these type of people ever going to be actually held accountable? Of course not that’s why they keep on doing it! The justice system is a joke!!
It’s about time drug or drink drivers are
banged up.
These Numpty’s will never be any good for
Society.
Lock them up and throw away the key.