South Tyneside motorist told cops he had taken 'two lines' when stopped driving at a snail's pace

Carlton Adams, 26, then failed to provide a sample of breath to test if he was also drunk after his roadside arrest in Fellgate Avenue, Fellgate, Jarrow.

Adams, of St David’s Way, also Fellgate, would likely have passed had he taken it, as officers could not smell booze on his breath, a court head.

Instead he is now starting an 18-month roads ban for his misdemeanour, on Wednesday, September 23.

Magistrates in South Tyneside heard he was spotted motoring at tortoise speed around a roundabout and onto Fellgate Avenue.

Prosecutor Lorna Rimell said Adams told officers he had taken “two lines” when stopped – but no blood test was taken to confirm his claim.

He was charged with driving while unfit through drugs, which was amended to failing to provide a specimen when he appeared in court.

Ms Rimmel told the court: “Two officers are in a patrol car and see the defendant driving.

“He negotiated a roundabout slowly and drove slowly on. He was fully cooperative when stopped but he seemed nervous. He said he’d taken two lines.

“He was taken to the police station and asked to give a breath sample on the CAMIC machine, which he refused.

“He has three previous convictions on his record, the last was in July this year for two batteries.

“I can tell you there’s no motoring convictions on his record.”

Adams, currently jobless due to the Covid pandemic, pleaded guilty to failing to provide and to failing to surrender to custody on Wednesday, October 21.

Val Bell, defending, said: “I have to accept it’s higher culpability because it’s a deliberate refusal.

“If he had provided a sample to the CAMIC machine, he would probably have passed.

“The officers said there was no smell but that his pupils were dilated.

“He admitted at the scene that he had taken some drugs. He was fully compliant.”

Adams was also handed a 12-month community order, with a requirement of 10 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

He must pay £85 court costs and a £95 victim surcharge. There was no penalty for failing to surrender.

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