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27
Mar
Harrogate man admits drug-driving during ‘difficult time’ in life
A Harrogate man was found to be around 16-times the drug-drive limit, a court heard yesterday (March 26).
Andrew Temple, 36, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court when he admitted one offence of drug-driving.
Prosecutor Anthony Farrell told the court police saw a vehicle travelling along Mornington Terrace in Harrogate just after 11pm on December 9 last year.
Police stopped the car and searched the driver – Temple – before finding what officers described as a “small rock” on him.
This was later established to be cocaine.
Temple failed a roadside drug swipe and was arrested. In custody, he recorded no less than 800 micrograms of benzoylecgonine – a by-product of cocaine breakdown – per litre of his blood.
The legal limit is just 50 micrograms.
Defendant was ‘struggling on all fronts’
Chris McGrogan, defending, told the court Temple is self-employed and runs his own fencing and gating company.
He was driving home that day and, as Mr McGrogan described it, had “been through a difficult time”.
The defendant’s relationship had broken down, he moved into rented accommodation and his income was “low due to it being the winter months”.
“He was struggling on all fronts”, Mr McGrogan told the court.
He said Temple, of Whernside Close, had started taking cocaine during the difficult period.
But the court heard there was no suggestion of a poor manner of driving, and Temple was “stopped by police as his van looked suspicious at that time of night”.
Officers found a small quantity of cocaine – the aforementioned “rock” – and the drug swipe showed he was under its influence at the time.
Mr McMgrogan also said Temple made a full admission to police and gave an honest account of the situation.
He added:
Police felt Mr Temple was suitable for a drugs referral, which he says has been very beneficial and the people working with him have steered him away from drugs.
The defendant is still running his business and intends to employ someone to drive him between jobs, due to the mandatory driving ban that comes with a drug-driving conviction.
“Mr Temple does not seek to say it was not his fault – he fully accepts that – but there are some significant positives in his life now”, Mr McGrogan added.
Temple was banned from driving for 13 months and ordered to pay a total of £730 to the court.
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