Berwick man admits drug driving charge
A Berwick man has been banned from driving after being caught with cannabis in his system.
David Cunningham, 49, from Eastcliffe, Spittal, pleaded guilty to a drug driving charge when he appeared at Berwick Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrates heard the defendant came to the attention of police while driving on Castlegate at 11pm on February 5.
The vehicle was pulled over the the defendant gave a positive roadside test. He was taken into custody and gave a reading of 2.6 THC. The legal limit is 2.
Magistrates were told the defendant had changed his plea the day before trial.
James Long, prosecuting, said the police had gone to ‘significant expense’ in preparation for that.
In mitigation, Ian O’Rourke, told magistrates the defendant had suffered a broken leg in a motor vehicle accident. He had a ‘botched’ operation and then, while working on a fishing vessel, had a bad fall and snapped his leg again.
"He was being medicated by his GP with opiates but did not want to continue with them so for a period of time was self-medicating with cannabis,” Mr O’Rourke told the court.
"He had got a referral from a GP for a private prescription for cannabis. That required him to demonstrate that he had been cannabis free for a month before his first prescription.
"He had stopped using street cannabis at the time he was stopped by PC Nash. He was convinced that at the time he was driving he would not have been over the limit but he was.
"As is his right, he went to challenge that evidence and see if it was correct so a full forensic report was served. It is possible for cannabis to remain in the blood stream for a very long time. There was no evidence of bad driving.”
The defendant was disqualified from driving for 12 months. He was ordered to pay a £540 fine, £216 surcharge and £630 prosecution costs, totalling £1,386.