Motorist told court he had been “in a bad state” and is now seeking help

A 51-YEAR-OLD motorist has been disqualified from driving after being caught with both cocaine and its metabolite in his system while travelling along the A477.

Magistrates sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that Paul Andrew was stopped by police on the afternoon of November 2 as he drove a silver Ford Transit near Kilgetty.

Checks showed the vehicle was uninsured. Further blood analysis revealed Andrew had 240 micrograms of benzoylecgonine in his system, as well as 13 micrograms of cocaine. The legal limits are 50 and 10 respectively.

Andrew, of Bramble Cottage, Stepaside, pleaded guilty to both drug-driving offences when he appeared before the court. He chose to represent himself.

In mitigation, he told magistrates he had been struggling with his circumstances at the time.

“I’d been living in a van and was in a bad state,” he said. “So in many ways this has helped me to sort myself out. I’ve now joined a church in Tenby and have started working with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Service, so things are starting to look a lot better.”

Andrew was disqualified from driving for 12 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.

Motorist stopped after crossing Cleddau Bridge and admitting drug use

A NEYLAND motorist has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine in his system.

Magistrates sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that on the morning of November 1, a police officer on patrol in a marked vehicle spotted a Nissan Juke being driven by Lee Evans, aged 48.

The officer followed the vehicle across the Cleddau Bridge before activating the blue lights and bringing it to a stop on Essex Road, Pembroke Dock.

When spoken to, Evans admitted he was a drug user. A roadside test led to further blood analysis, which revealed 223 micrograms of benzoylecgonine – a cocaine metabolite – in his system. The legal limit is 50.

Evans pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

Defence solicitor Fenn Richards told the court her client had been struggling with his mental health and had taken cocaine several days earlier.

“He’d been struggling mentally at the time and had taken cocaine a few nights previously,” she said.

“That day, he’d been to the hospital to visit his father who was extremely ill. But if he’d known he was still over the limit, he would not have driven.”

Evans, of Picton Road, Neyland, was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

He was fined £753 and ordered to pay a £301 court surcharge and £85 costs.

Officers say weapon could be made operational despite claims it was obsolete

A MAN has been sentenced after police discovered a revolver and ammunition at his property despite him not holding a firearms certificate.

Magistrates sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that officers attended Nicholas Anderson’s address on suspicion he was involved in drug supply.

During a search of an upstairs bedroom, they found a .320 calibre double-action revolver along with three bullets.

Prosecutor Nia James told the court that Anderson, aged 36, later claimed during interview that the weapon no longer worked and was obsolete.

“But when it was recovered, officers could see the spring had been taken out but could be adapted to become fully operational once again,” she said.

The court heard the revolver measured 15.6cm in length, with a 7.9cm barrel.

“It had component parts of a firearm and is subsequently a prohibited weapon,” Ms James added.

Anderson, who is currently serving a custodial sentence for an unrelated drug conviction, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm without a certificate.

Defence solicitor Alaw Harries said there was no suggestion the weapon had ever been used in criminal activity.

“There is no evidence to suggest the gun has ever been used in any crime,” she said.

“It was obtained prior to changes in the law and the defendant believed it was completely non-functioning. As far as he was concerned, he thought it was incapable of ever working again.”

Anderson, who is of no fixed address, was fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £16 surcharge.

(Picture for illustrative purposes only)