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.

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Court hears driver ‘unwittingly’ consumed drug at party before being stopped by police

A MOTORIST has told magistrates he ended up over the drug-drive limit after unknowingly eating food containing cannabis at a party.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that on October 25, Kerne Spiralson, aged 32, attended a gathering at an undisclosed location in north Pembrokeshire where he helped himself to a selection of food.

However, the court was told that one of the items had been prepared with cannabis, something Spiralson said he was unaware of at the time.

Later that evening, as he drove his Mazda 3 home along the Llanfyrnach–Tegryn road, he was stopped by police and subjected to a roadside drugs test.

The swipe test proved positive and subsequent analysis showed he had 7.8 micrograms of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in his system. The legal limit is 2 micrograms.

Spiralson, of Pencraig, Llandysul, pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

Defence solicitor Fenn Richards told magistrates that because the cannabis had been consumed unknowingly within food, the case involved special circumstances which may allow the court to consider avoiding the mandatory driving disqualification.

Magistrates adjourned the case for sentencing, which will take place on March 26.

Spiralson was released on unconditional bail.