A MOTORIST has been fined almost £1,000 and banned from driving for three years after being caught drug driving twice in the space of two months.

Stacie John Chapman’s Suzuki Alto smelt strongly of cannabis when he was stopped on January 20 and then March 3 this year by police officers – on both occasions he failed a roadside drug test and was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of drug driving, as well as a third of possessing drugs, when he appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 27.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies said Chapman, 28, was stopped on the A483 near Howey, Llandrindod, on January 20, and then again on the B4340 near Aberystwyth on March 4 – with officers noting a strong smell of cannabis emanating from the car on both occasions.

Mr Davies said a reading of 8.4 micrograms of cannabis was provided at the Howey stop, with the reading 17.5 micrograms on the second occasion – the legal cannabis drug drive limit is 2 micrograms.

On the second occasion, Chapman was also found in possession of 5.51 grams of herbal cannabis, which had a street value of about £50. Mr Davies said Chapman had one previous matter on his record, a similar offence from 2016, for which he was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Acting for the defendant, whose previous address had been Brecon Road, Builth Wells, but is now Penrallt, Aberystwyth, Megan Williams said there has been “quite a significant change of circumstances” for her client since these offences.

“There has been a change of address and in the last few weeks he has started a permanent job at a hotel in Aberystwyth,” said Ms Williams.

“He has moved away from this area and is in full-time employment. He has engaged with Kaleidoscope with the intention of reducing his cannabis intake. This has been successful and they have helped provide him with coping mechanisms.

“His previous offence does aggravate this matter, but there was no unacceptable standard of driving and he has taken steps to address his drug taking.”

A second conviction for drug driving carries with it a mandatory three-year ban. Magistrates also fined Chapman £280 for each drug driving offence, as well as £185 for possessing cannabis. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £75 surcharge. The drugs were also ordered to be destroyed.