South Tyneside dad faces 16-month roads ban after driving with cannabis in his system

A drug using South Tyneside dad is starting a 16-month roads’ ban after being seen driving a van by police a day after smoking cannabis.

Craig Seales, 36, drove a Ford Transit campervan between businesses on an industrial estate at Mitre Place, South Shields, as a favour for a friend.

But Seales, of Rembrandt Avenue, Whiteleas, was spotted at the wheel by suspicious police and tailed at 9am on Monday, January 23, a court heard.

Checks showed he only held a provisional licence and was not insured – and cannabis was found either on him or in the van.

Borough magistrates heard he had not used the drug that day but had in the previous 24 hours, meaning it was still circulating in his system.

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Prosecutor Lesley Burgess said: “Police describe seeing the vehicle going into Mitre Place and going towards a garage.

“A male exited from the driver’s seat and an officer followed him into a garage, and began speaking to him.

“Checks showed that he was only a provisional licence holder and did not have insurance. The officer then located cannabis on the defendant.

“He was arrested and taken to a police station where he gave a sample of blood which was tested and showed cannabis.

“It’s fair to say he’s no stranger to the courts. He has 28 previous convictions for 51 offences.”

Seales, who is jobless but looking to set up in business at Mitre Place, pleaded guilty to drug driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

He gave a blood reading for cannabis by-product THC of greater than 7mcg. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Amy Rochester, defending, said Seales’ criminality had declined and he had not been before the court since 2020, with most of his offending being around 20 years ago.

She added: “As he’s grown up, he’s found himself less and less before the courts.

“On this morning, he accepts that he visited a friend at his local garage. The friend asked him to nip the van around.

“He foolishly agreed to do that knowing he was only a provisional licence holder.

“He says he had no cannabis that day but perhaps had some the day before. There was no cannabis found on his person.”

Seales was also fined £120, with £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.