A man took cocaine and drove – before ditching his car and running off when police followed him.
PC Storm Brand spotted a Fiat 500 in Marsh Lane, Semington, at around 3.45am on 14 December last year. Suspicious, he followed the car and planned to stop it.
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After turning around, the officer saw the vehicle – which had damage to its nearside bodywork – parked up and a person walking away from it towards a field.
A search of the car – which was warm to the touch – revealed documents in the name of 21-year-old Adam James Aubrey, of Castlehaven Close, Chippenham.
Backup was called in and a hunt for the male was then carried out, with the defendant swiftly located walking on the A361 towards the A350.
On arrest, he told the police: “I ran from the car down there… I didn’t know it was the police behind me”. Soon after, he failed the roadside drug swipe and admitted taking cocaine.
In custody, a blood sample was taken – revealing readings of cocaine 58 micrograms per litre of blood and benzoylecgonine of 800 micrograms per litre of blood. The cocaine limit is 10 micrograms and the benzoylecgonine limit is 50 micrograms.
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court, Aubrey pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving.
Liz Highams, defending, said her client “didn’t realise the cocaine taken would take him over the limit or would impair his driving”.
She told the bench that since the incident, he has “turned his life around” and no longer takes drugs. He lost his job as a result, but has since secured a new role as an electrical engineer.
Magistrates imposed a 15-month driving ban and fined him £346. He must also pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £35 surcharge.
