A 19-year-old man has been handed a £925 fine and disqualified from driving for 12 months after McDonald’s staff reported him to police after they witnessed him smoking cannabis in their car park.
Charlie Watson, of Waltham Abbey in Essex, pleaded guilty to 3 charges related to driving offences at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court earlier this week (Tuesday).
The court heard of Watson’s guilt regarding 1 charge of driving a vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug, namely cannabis, 1 charge of using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance and a third charge of driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
Jason Spelman, prosecuting, told the court how staff at McDonald’s in Ryde had seen the defendant and his friend smoking cannabis in a black Audi outside of the fast-food establishment on the night of 22nd October 2025.
Police then responded to the alerts, catching up to the car going along Beapers Shute and into Brading High Street, where the vehicle was stopped.
The court heard how, upon approach, the Audi smelt of cannabis, and officers later found some of the drug inside the car.
After a preliminary roadside drug test was taken, Watson was taken to Newport Police station, where further tests revealed a reading of 4.9 microgrammes per litre of blood, with the legal limit to drive being just 2 microgrammes per litre of blood.
Defending Watson, Oscar Vincent told the court that his client works on large building projects on the Island where currently he is erecting scaffolding.
Vincent said his client was compliant with both the roadside test and the in-station blood test, after reports from a member of the public lead to a routine stop.
Magistrates ordered the defendant to pay a £925 fine and gave him a 12-month driving ban.
Ban him from working on the island, these people think they can come over here and do what they want to? Hopefully he’s now out of work too?
He probably heard that the island stinks of Cannabis
and felt at home.
The island is so different to the island in the 1970s
This is how boring this shit island is fuck off you must be so bored
Well caught, so many numpties seem to drive Audi’s!
Wanker
Vote Green and this is your future
Nothing wrong with Green
Unfortunately bans don’t stop them driving, every time they get caught it’s just another ban and a fine, not many go to prison.
Very true, they will keep re-offending until the law gets
tough.