Drug driver banned after being caught with over three times limit in his system

An agitated driver with dilated pupils confessed to consuming cocaine after being caught at the wheel in a South Tyneside pub car park by police.

Jack Taylor, 21, was approached as he sat in his motor at the Beggar’s Bridge pub at East Boldon - and admitted to taking the drug the day before.

A blood test after his arrest at around 10pm on Saturday, May 20, proved it was an honest admission by Taylor, of Westhope Road, Horsley Hill.

Analysis showed he was over the legal limit for cocaine and its derivative product BZE, prosecutor Emma O’Hegarty told borough magistrates.

Taylor is starting an 18-month driving ban and must pay fines and costs of over £1,000 after pleading guilty to two counts of drug driving.

Mrs O’Hegarty said: “An officer states that they were on patrol in Station Approach, and they entered the car park of the Beggar’s Bridge.

“Their attention was drawn to a black Renault Clio. The officer approached the driver’s side and a male got out of the driver’s seat.

“He was searched and said that he had cocaine on him. The officer noticed that the driver’s pupils were dilated, and he was agitated.

“He said that he had taken cocaine the day before, and he was arrested. I would place this offence as high culpability but lesser harm.

“What aggravates this is the fact there was a passenger in the vehicle.”

The court heard Taylor, who has no previous convictions and is in employment, has an issue with drugs but was tackling that with the support of his family.

He gave a reading of greater than 32mcg in blood for cocaine, with a legal limit of 10mcg.

And his reading for BZE was greater than 800mcg, against a legal limit of 50mcg.

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Geoffrey Forrester, defending, said: “The only good thing that comes out of this is that he admits this is an issue.

“He’s a decent young man, with concerned parents who are behind me in court. He’s a decent young man who’s gone off the rails.

“Police often have to deal with people who are difficult, but he was the opposite. He’s turning things around in terms of drugs.”

Magistrates fined Taylor £666, with a £266 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

They told him positives from his offending were that he was seeking help for his drug problem and had family support.