A trucker has received a road ban after confessing to driving under the influence of drugs.
Nicholas Smith, residing on Lichfield Road in Armitage, Rugeley, faced legal consequences for his actions behind the wheel of a Scania HGV on the A34 at Sutton Scotney, Hampshire, on February 13.
Following a blood test, it was revealed that the 48-year-old had 3.4 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, exceeding the legal limit of 2 by 1.4 micrograms. Moreover, he was found with 277 micrograms of Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine derivative, which was more than five times the legal limit of 50 micrograms.
In June, Smith admitted to two counts of drug driving during his appearance at Basingstoke Magistrates Court. Subsequently, at Cannock Magistrates Court on a later date, he received a two-year driving ban and a 12-month community order, requiring him to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
It is worth noting that the driving ban was backdated to June 22, which marks the date of his initial guilty plea and the granting of an interim road ban.
