A Melksham roofer has been handed a lengthy roads ban after he admitted drug driving whilst 16 times over the legal limit.
Paul Lewis Bird, 33, of Speedwell Close, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of cocaine and cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine at Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (23 February).
Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said police officers stopped a Volkswagen Polo in Teachers Way on 21 July last year, and Bird was the driver.
The officers carried out a Misuse of Drugs Act search of the vehicle and its three occupants. They located a small amount of cannabis and the defendant admitted it was his.
As a result, he was handed a street warning. However, Bird was arrested when he failed a roadside drug swipe – testing positive for cocaine.
In custody, a blood sample was taken and confirmed he was driving over the legal limit for cocaine and benzoylecgonine.
The reading for cocaine was 60 micrograms of drug per litre of blood. The legal limit is 10 micrograms.
The benzoylecgonine result was somewhere more significant, confirming more than 800 micrograms of the drug per litre of blood was in his system – 16 times over the legal limit of 50 micrograms.
The court heard that Bird has a previous conviction for drink or drug driving from 2018.
Harriet Heard, defending, said her client had taken cocaine at the weekend and “did not think for a minute it would still be in his system” three days later.
She said Bird does not have any issues around the use of drugs – using it recreationally.
Ms Heard, of Reeds Solicitors, said Bird works as a roofer and will be able to keep his employment despite a driving ban as they have arranged to pick him up for work.
He lives with his parents, paying rent to them and child maintenance for a child who does not live with him. Ms Heard said the wait for the court hearing has “taken a toll on his mental health”, adding that he was “really worried”.
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She told of how Bird was worried about telling his parents when he came back from the police station following his arrest.
Magistrates slapped him with a three-year driving disqualification, which is a mandatory period for people who have been convicted of more than one drink or drug driving offence within ten years.
Bird was also fined £300 and told to pay court costs of £85 and a £34 surcharge.
