Powys drug driver stopped twice by police on the same day

Stephen Pitt was stopped by police twice within a five-hour period,on February 8. On both occasions he was found to be over the drug driving limit.

The 53-year-old, from the West Midlands, was originally stopped by Dyfed-Powys Police officers in Aberystwyth at around 10am.

He was arrested after providing a positive roadside test for the Class B drug, then let go. However, just over four hours later, at 2.15pm, Pitt’s silver Volkswagen Golf was stopped in Powys, between Newtown and Welshpool, where he was again over the legal limit for driving with cannabis in your system.

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Pitt admitted two charges of drug driving at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 2, as well as a third charge of possessing cannabis, after an amount of it was found in his glove box.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said: “It was 10am when PC Roberts in Aberystwyth stopped the defendant’s vehicle; there was a strong smell of cannabis and he had red, bloodshot eyes.

“He said he had smoked some recently. A search was carried out and drugs were found in the glovebox. A roadside test was positive and he was arrested. He was taken to the station, where the drugs were weighed.

“PC Wilkinson was then contacted by PC Roberts informing him of the defendant’s previous offence, and he had been warned about driving.

“He suspected the defendant was driving back to the West Midlands. At around 2.15pm he was seen on the A483 in Abermule.

“The defendant was driving, he had two members of his family with him. The officer noted he had small pupils. He said he was a habitual cannabis user. He was stopped and arrested and then taken to the station.”

From the morning stop, Pitt produced a blood sample containing 2.8 micrograms of cannabis, a few hours later the level of the drug in his system was 2.6 micrograms – the legal limit is two micrograms.

The amount of cannabis in Pitt’s glove box was found to weigh four grams.

Pitt, of Kipling Rise, Tamworth, spoke in his own defence at court, telling magistrates he agreed with the facts of the case.

“I am 100 per cent sorry. It was one of those days, my head was all over the place. I didn’t give [driving] a second thought.”

Rachel Jones, chair of the bench, told Pitt: “You have stayed out of trouble for 10 years, which is commendable, so it is a pity this happened.”

Pitt was disqualified from driving for 28 months, with magistrates telling him they could increase the ban due to the aggravating factor of being caught twice on the same day.

He was also fined a total of £1,010. This includes a £200 fine for the initial stop and a £400 fine for the Powys stop. He must also pay a £240 surcharge and £170 costs.

Magistrates also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis.