Cocaine driver was 79 times over limit when he crashed car

A DRUG-DRIVER was caught 79 times over the limit after taking cocaine, police have revealed.

Lee Ainsworth, 34, stunned officers with his readings after driving into the back of an S-type Jaguar while behind the wheel of a Ford Focus in one of the worst cases of drug-driving ever seen.

The crash, shortly before 3.45pm on April 28, left the 68-year-old male driver of the Jaguar and his 63-year-old female passenger with minor injuries.

A passenger in Ainsworth’s car also suffered a facial injury as a result of the crash on the M3, close to junction six.

Christopher Pike, of Hampshire Police’s roads policing unit, said: “We were truly shocked when we received the test results.

“By getting behind the wheel that day, knowing how much he had taken, he showed total disregard for the lives of others and it is sheer luck that no one was seriously hurt or killed.

“No level of drink or drug driving is acceptable but this was on another scale to anything I have come across before and is one of the highest readings the force has seen.”

Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard toxicology tests revealed the amount of benzoylecgonine, a product of cocaine, in Ainsworth’s system was 79 times over the specified concentration allowed in law for that substance.

Ainsworth admitted driving without due care and attention and driving whilst unfit to drive through drugs.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge.