A man from Newport who was found to be driving whilst 12x the drug drive limit has been handed a 12-month driving ban and fined £120.
Ashley Bedford, 30, of Albert Street in Newport, pleaded guilty to 1 count of drug driving when he appeared in front of Magistrates on Tuesday.
Ann Smout, prosecuting, told the court that around 23:30 on 7th July, Police attention was drawn to Bedford’s car – a BMW 1 Series – as he drove around Ryde due to a large amount of external damage. Officers followed him for a short while as he drove slowly, using backroads and frequently stopping.
After a short while, the car came to a stop on St John’s Wood Road with officers deciding to approach the car to chat with Bedford and his passenger. Upon getting to the vehicle – and the window being lowered – officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from his car.
A roadside drugs wipe was conducted with Bedford testing positive for THC. The 30-year-old was taken to Newport Police station where he gave a blood sample which returned a reading of 25, more than 12x the legal limit of 2ug/l.
Defending, Barry Arnett said his client had only moved to the Isle of Wight some 2 days before and that he was lost at the time of the incident. He also added that Bedford had cooperated fully with the Police throughout their enquiries.
Bedford has 1 previous conviction for handling stolen goods back in 2017.
Magistrates handed the 30-year-old a 12-month driving disqualification. He was also handed a £120 fine, ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge fee of £48.
Really? £120 fine? Is that it? He probably spent more than that on the drugs!
Drink/drug driving is so common now on the island. £120 is a joke. What is wrong with the magistrates? These idiots need locking up!
It’s literally everywhere, yet so many morons condone it..?
Seems like we’ve gone significantly backwards with regards to this sort of thing..
Anyone using Ketamine and cannabis at this level is not going to stop.
He needs a 5 year ban , a suspended prison sentence for 5 years and a hefty fine – £1000 minimum.
Not only is he a danger to the rest of us, he is funding dealers and organised crime. Ketamine is a serious drug.
This sentence will not deter him, there should at least be weekly drug testing for 12 months, cost covered by the offender, to make sure he is quitting illegal drugs.
“12 x the drug drive limit”? Fortunately he wasn’t 12 x the drink drive limit, as he would have been hung, drawn and quartered. Why are drug drivers treated so leniently compared to boozers?
Luckily he was not 13 times over the limit
Being there is only 12 months in a year
Smoke weed every day
Ur a loser who needs help
surely if I was caught 12 times over the drink drive limit, I would be sent to prison, bit farcical the drug driving law
If you were 12x the drink drive limit you would probably be sent to the morgue.
Why not banned 5yrs, compensation for vehicles damaged?. He is now better off as can drive without license, no need to pay hundreds for insurance etc as if caught would probably cost him £85 and £35 and carry on. Law is so on wrong side of law abiding legal driver’s!
Thanks a lot for the publics protection justice not carried out again. The judical enforcement is a farce!
Something seriously needs to be done about these island judges handing out way too lenient sentences. 12 times over the drug drive limit and all gets is a ban for 1 year and £120 fine! This total waster could have killed someone and that’s for LIFE!!!!!!!
Oh Sunshine, if only you had another brain cell and thought about looking up the drug drive sentencing guidelines. In legal terms, it doesn’t matter if he was once over, or 50 times over. The sentencing is the same.
Why don’t you volunteer as a magistrate, then you can go outside of the guidelines and put everyone in prison.
Well done island magistrates, you have failed in your duty to protect the law abiding public once again. You must be so proud of yourselves.
No wonder these druggies are moving to the island they get away with murder!
Why is there even a ‘legal’ limit? It should be set as zero per mg for both drink and drug driving,these idiots either eventually kill themselves,or worse some random innocent!
Farcical sentencing and fines what deterrent is that really…….