South Shields man caught riding an electric motorbike while over the drug-drive limit
An offshore worker caught riding an electric motorbike erratically in South Tyneside while over the drug drive limit has been banned from the roads.
Liam Porter, 22, was spotted by police as he steered the machine in Straker Street, between Jarrow and Tyne Dock, on Wednesday, November 19.
Porter, of Blenheim Walk, Woodbine Estate, South Shields, was stopped and drug swiped and gave a positive reading for cannabis, borough magistrates heard.
It led to his arrest, with a subsequent blood test proving he was over the legal limit for cannabis breakdown product THC, prosecutor Jonathan Moore said.
The defendant, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to drug driving and three other motoring charges and was disqualified from driving for two years.
Mr Moore told the hearing: “Officers saw the defendant driving an electric motorbike, and they stopped him.
“There was erratic driving. He was drug swiped and gave a positive reading.”
Porter also admitted charges of driving without insurance, driving without a licence and riding without protective headgear.
He gave a reading in blood for THC of not less than 4.6mcg. The legal limit is 2mcg.
Duncan Emmerson, defending, told magistrates: “He has pleaded guilty to all matters that are before the court today.
“He’s of impeccable character and works as a rope access technician on the rigs. He spends a lot of time at work.
“The offences were committed out of ignorance. These weren’t offences committed intentionally.
“Of the cannabis, he says he’s very much a recreational user. This young man doesn’t need support. As far as I can see, there’s no criminogenic needs.
“He’s never come to the attention of the police before. There’s nothing that the Probation Service could do to assist.
“I’d suggest you can deal with him by way of a financial penalty. It’s also a 17 to 28-month disqualification.
“That would be a severe punishment for him and means that he isn’t going to be mobile for some time.”
Magistrates told Porter there was evidence he had driven erratically on the roads but accepted he had no criminogenic needs.
Alongside his ban, they fined him £320 and ordered him to pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.
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