INTERIM DRIVING BAN FOR WOMAN FOUND DRUG DRIVING WITH NO INSURANCE

A 31-year-old woman who was caught driving her car with no insurance was also found to be driving under the influence of drugs, a court has heard. Charlotte Gayle, 31, care of Princes Street in Cowes, pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without 3rd party insurance when she appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Tuesday 19th December. Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that on 11th August this year, at around 18:40, Gayle’s Renault Megane was flagged up on the Police’s ANPR system as having no insurance as she drove along Newport Road toward Cowes. The 31-year-old was pulled over near Northwood Garage and a roadside drugs wipe was conducted, which returned a positive reading for Benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine. Blood samples collected at Newport Police Station later showed that Gayle had a BZE level of 240ug/l – the specified limit of 50ug/l. There was also a small level of cannabis in her system, though a charge was not brought forward. Defending, Barry Keel said that his client was experiencing difficulty in her personal life at the time and that she normally allows her insurance to auto-renew but a lack of money in her account stopped it from renewing. Magistrates ordered the case be adjourned to allow for a pre-sentence report to be compiled. Gayle – who was handed an interim driving ban – will next appear before the courts on 2nd February 2024.