A Harrogate man crashed into someone when he was four-times the drug-drive limit, a court has been told.

Bernard Munt, 24, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (February 26) charged with five offences: two counts of drug-driving; one count of possessing cannabis; one count of possessing ketamine and one count of driving without insurance.

He admitted all the charges.

Alison Whiteley, prosecuting, told the court police received a report of a collision on Chatsworth Grove in Harrogate at around 6.20pm on November 8 last year.

Munt had driven into the back of another car at the time.

The driver of the car Munt crashed into got video footage of the defendant before police arrived, which showed him getting out of his car and stumbling around.

He refused to provide his insurance details to the other party, before getting back in his car and putting the keys in the vehicle, but the other person managed to remove the keys before Munt could drive off.

When police arrived, Ms Whiteley said, they noticed Munt’s eyes were glazed and his pupils were dilated.

He was also unsteady on his feet.

Police searched the car and found a small amount of cannabis and ketamine in it, and soon established Munt was not insured to drive the vehicle.

Munt was arrested and a blood sample later revealed 80 micrograms of ketamine per litre of his blood – four-times the limit of 20 micrograms – and 4.7 micrograms of THC, more than double the limit of two micrograms.

The court heard Munt, of Stanhope Drive, gave police a prepared statement in which he said the drugs seized were for personal use. He gave no comment to all questions thereafter.

‘He dealt with the accident in the way he felt appropriate’

Ismael Uddin, defending, told the court while Munt has a “responsible” job, he has been self-medicating for some time.

He said the defendant “has trouble grasping situations”, adding: 

Mr Uddin said the defendant will likely lose his job as a result of the conviction, as his employer “will not put up with a criminal conviction”.

He will have to turn to universal credit if he is sacked, Mr Uddin added. 

Defendant was self-medicating

The case was temporarily stood down for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Kirsty Fowler, a probation officer, later told the court Munt had been struggling with suspected ADHD symptoms but did not have a diagnosis at the time of the offence.

Ms Fowler said Munt was self-medicating by smoking cannabis at the time, especially as he struggles to relax and concentrate, but he now realises this is “not the correct thing to do”.

He has since been formally diagnosed with ADHD and is taking medication for it, but he admits he still smokes cannabis and takes ketamine on occasions.

The court also heard Munt struggles with anxiety as a result of the ADHD, but he has not been formally diagnosed with this.

Passing sentence, the chair of the magistrates’ bench said:

Munt was handed a 12-month community order, during which he must complete a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay £199 to the court.

The drugs found in his car will also be forfeited and destroyed.