A 47-year-old man from Binstead who was found to have cocaine metabolites in his system after being stopped by Police for speeding has been banned from driving for 12 months.
Stuart Le Ray, of Birch Gardens, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on 18th September, where he pleaded guilty to drug driving.
The court heard that Le Ray was stopped by Sergeant Winchester on Ashey Road in Ryde at around 08:40 on 12th March this year. He had been travelling at between 33mph and 38mph in a 30mph zone when he was pulled over.
A roadside drug wipe indicated the presence of cocaine, with subsequent testing revealing a reading of 240 for benzoylecgonine (BZE), a breakdown product of cocaine.
Defending, Oscar Vincent explained to the court that Le Ray had attended a party 3 or 4 days before being stopped by Police, which had been his first social outing in 2 years.
Le Ray maintained that he had not consumed any substances after the party and had no recollection of taking Class A drugs, although he accepted that the substance had been found in his system.
The court was told that Le Ray had been the victim of serious assaults, including an incident involving grievous bodily harm (GBH), and was receiving benefits as a result of injuries he had sustained.
In mitigation, it was said that Le Ray had stayed away from drugs since March and had been sober for 157 days, around 5 months.
Le Ray is no stranger to the courts though. As previously reported by Island Echo, he pleaded guilty to harassing his estranged wife in January 2023 after calling her more than 300 times, following her around a supermarket car park and threatening to break her jaw.
On that occasion, the court heard that alcohol and substance misuse had been at the centre of his offending and that he had sought support from Inclusion.
For the latest offence, magistrates disqualified Le Ray from driving for 12 months and fined him £120. He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £48 surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to £253.
