Swerving across A6 high on cannabis
Stumbled out the vehicle with glazed eyes, looking confused
POLICE rushing to an incident in Loughborough had to stop to pull over a driver who was swerving across the A6 while high on cannabis, a court has heard.
Balal Ahmed (32) was described as “stumbling out of the vehicle looking confused, smelling of cannabis with red, glazed eyes” by the two officers, who also found £210 worth of the drug in his car.
Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard they had been travelling north past Rothley on the dual carriageway at 9pm on November 2 last year when they spotted the BMW containing Ahmed and his girlfriend.
The officers had been dispatched to a call in Loughborough town centre but decided it was more important to get Ahmed off the road.
Prosecutor Kwok Wan said: “They came across a BMW swerving from one lane to the next. It was swerving constantly and using the brake for no reason.
“The vehicle continued swerving as if the driver was under the influence of some substance. So instead of going on to the incident they decided the driver needed to be spoken to.
“Mr Ahmed is described by the officers as stumbling out of the vehicle looking confused, smelling of cannabis with red, glazed eyes. He is asked to go to the police car where a drug wipe test for cannabis was carried out, which he subsequently failed.”
The court was told that a blood sample was also taken for analysis, which gave a reading of 5.8 microgrammes of cannaboids per litre of blood. A reading of anything more than two microgrammes is classed as a motoring offence.
A quick search of Ahmed’s BMW uncovered £420 in cash and £210 worth of cannabis, which was stored in a number of labelled boxes.
Mr Wan said Ahmed was being prosecuted for possession and not for dealing.
He said Ahmed, of Bishop Street, Loughborough, has two previous drug convictions from the past seven years, including one of possession with intent to supply, for which he was given a suspended jail sentence in 2014.
David Swingler, representing Ahmed, said his client was a “hard-working young man” who until recently had held two jobs - doing employment agency work and delivering food for a restaurant.
However, he said that since the coronavirus lockdown the agency work had dried up and the inevitable driving ban would prevent him working as a delivery driver.
District Judge Nick Watson told Ahmed: “I’m told there was clear evidence you were driving badly and putting others at risk.
“As well as being over the limit you also had quite a quantity of cannabis - it’s not the first time you’ve been convicted for having drugs.”
Ahmed, who had pleaded guilty to possession of Class B drugs and driving while over the limit for drugs, was ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work.
He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £90 victim surcharge.