West Winch man was dragged from car by police, court told

A West Winch motorist was found to be drug-driving and in possession of two knives after he was unwilling to speak to police.

Clive Croote was given a suspended sentence for the knives offence and was banned from driving for three years for his second relevant conviction in 10 years.

He had driven away and mounted the pavement when officers approached in Dawber Road, Gaywood.

But the Vauxhall Combo’s path was blocked by another police vehicle. Croote was hauled from the van and taken to the ground after unlocking the door when officers failed to smash the side window.

The 36-year-old was before Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to drug-driving, driving without reasonable consideration for other road users and possession of cannabis.

The court was told that Croote, of Fir Tree Drive, had 2.8 microgrammes of a cannabis breakdown product per litre of blood in his system. The specified limit is two.

He had also been convicted at trial of two counts of knife possession in the incident at 1.15am on October 9, 2020. They had been found in the glovebox of the van.

Hugh Cauthery, mitigating, said his client had no previous record for violence against the person. The knives were in his glovebox after Croote had helped lay a bathroom floor.

The offences arose out of his client having an argument with his girlfriend, who called the police, said Mr Cauthery.

The solicitor added: “He has an anti-authoritarianism stance. He didn’t want to speak to the police.

“He manoeuvred past at walking past but couldn’t get past the other police car.

“Police bundled him out with considerable force – highly misjudged behaviour by the police, in my submission.”

Croote was given 16 weeks’ custody, suspended for one year, and the driving ban.

He was also fined £100 for the drug-driving offence and ordered to pay £200 costs and £128 victim surcharge.

There were no separate penalties for the drug possession offence or the driving without consideration matters.