Man caught drug driving in South Tyneside after being released from a seven year prison sentence

A man who was jailed as a teenager has carried his criminal ways into adulthood after being caught drug driving in South Tyneside.

But Aiden Dowling, 20, may finally have turned a corner on his road to rehabilitation.

Dowling, of Pollard Street, central South Shields, has been regularly drug tested since his motoring offence - and is giving consistently negative results.

He proved over the legal limit for cannabis after being stopped by police at the wheel outside the McDonald’s drive-thru at Simonside on Tuesday, September 19.

The quantity surveyor appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to drug driving and was banned from motoring for a year.

The court heard he was jailed for seven years in May 2019 at Liverpool Crown Court and released on licence in March 2022, and no further details of the offence were revealed.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies said: “Officers were on duty when they received information about the driver of an Audi vehicle.

“The vehicle was located in Shaftesbury Avenue, and it came to a stop at McDonald’s. He got out and had a glazed expression and bloodshot eyes.

“He smelled of cannabis and the smell of cannabis was also coming from the vehicle. A drug swipe at the roadside showed cannabis and he was arrested.

“In relation to his record, there’s nothing driving related that I’m aware of. It’s a guilty plea at the first occasion.”

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Dowling gave a reading for cannabis in blood of 4mcg. The legal limit is 2mcg.

The Probation Service told the hearing Dowling was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court on May 27, 2019, and released on licence until September 2025 on March 11, 2022.

It said a drug testing requirement had been put in place after his drug drive arrest.

He had failed his first two tests but had been negative in those that followed, which Probation said demonstrated his desire to deal with any drug issues.

Alastair Naismith, defending, said: “There was one drug present. He was not driving for reward or a commercial vehicle.

“It is not clear from the police statement that there is evidence of unacceptable driving, it was on information received.”

Dowling was also fined £383, with a £153 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.