Drug-driver found 32 times over legal limit 'got back into old ways', King's Lynn court told
A West Norfolk motorist who was caught at 32 times the drug-drive limit has been banned from the roads for 14 months.
James Kelly, 39, was pulled over by police at West Newton at 6am, just after seeing him pick up another man.
King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday that officers wanted to arrest Kelly over other matters.
“He appeared drowsy and unsteady on his feet and was slurring his words,” said prosecutor Katharine Kibrya-Dean.
The legal limit for benzoylecgonine – a breakdown product of cocaine – is 50 micrograms per litre of blood in a driver’s system. Kelly had 1,600 micrograms.
However, the magistrates were told by the court’s legal advisor to disregard the high reading as the level of drugs in the system would not impact the ability to drive in the same way that a high alcohol reading does.
Kelly, of Vong Lane, Pott Row, pleaded guilty to drug-driving on March 25 this year.
Charlotte Winchester, mitigating, said the incident was a “huge regret” for her client.
She added that just before this year he had sorted some employment and got clean from drugs.
“And then he met up with an old associate. Through him trying to help [the friend] to get work too he subsequently got into taking drugs again.
“He got back into his old ways.”
As well as the ban, Kelly was fined £106 and ordered to pay £89 in costs and a victim surcharge.