Drug driver banned for 18 months
A DRUGDRIVING labourer was caught more than three times the limit after a car “went into the back of him”.
Lewis Hadfield’s drug-taking night out with pals caught up with him the following day when police were called to the smash on the A66.
The 30-year-old got behind the wheel of his Peugeot after taking cannabis and cocaine.
The former nursing assistant, who previously worked at Roseberry Park Hospital, was given an 18-month driving ban after pleading guilty to three charges of drug driving at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Prosecutor Heather Willis stated it was just before 10am on December 22, last year, when police responded to a road traffic collision on the A66 near Marsh Road, Middlesbrough. Hadfield was driving a Peugeot 107 that was involved in the “damage only” smash.
Officers carried out a roadside breath test and Hadfield tested positive for cocaine. He was arrested and taken to custody where bloods were taken.
Hadfield was found to be more than three times the limit for cocaine with 32 ugL of the class A drug in his blood.
He also had 2.5 ug/L of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in his system, exceeding the limit of two.
Results also showed Hadfield had Benzoylecgonine (BZE) – the cocaine breakdown product – in his blood.
He had 698 μg/L, exceeding the specified limit of 50μg/L.
Ms Willis added that Hadfield has no previous convictions.
Belinda Dobson, mitigating, told how police were called to the collision after the vehicle behind Hadfield “went into the back of him”.
The court heard Hadfield had been on a night out the evening prior and had “sadly taken these two drugs”.
Ms Dobson added that Hadfield had been “self-medicating” with cannabis “for some time”.
The defence solicitor told how Hadfield previously worked at Roseberry Park Hospital training as a nursing assistant and had also previously worked for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
However, it had a “great impact on him” and he “couldn’t cope” despite ‘enjoying it immensely.’
Hadfield, of Evesham Road, Park End, now works in construction as a labourer after the “short, sharp shock” of his arrest.
Ms Dobson said her client is now trying to abstain from cannabis use.
Deputy district judge Thomas Moran fined Hadfield £20. He must also pay £85 court costs and a £80 surcharge.
Hadfield is also banned from driving for 18 months.