A local man has been disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £200 after pleading guilty to a charge of Driving Whilst under the Influence of Drugs.  He was fined an additional £150 for being in Possession of a Class B drug.

Kaine Pincho, 35, of the Laguna Estate, was sentenced by the Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The court heard that, at around 2230hrs on 13 July 2023, officers observed a Mitsubishi car being driven along Main Street without lights. The driver, Pincho, was stopped outside the John Mackintosh Hall and, when officers spoke to him, they detected a strong smell of cannabis coming from inside the car.

Pincho was then asked to take a drugs wipe test which gave a positive result.  As he was being searched, he informed officers that he had a small amount of cannabis in his bag on the car’s back seat.  This, along with a joint, was seized by the officers.

Pincho was then arrested on suspicion of Driving Whilst under the Influence of Drugs and Possession of a Class B drug.

At New Mole House Police Station, a blood sample was taken, which was then sent to the UK for analysis.

The test results showed that a sample of his blood contained 6.7ug - over three times the specified limit of 2ug/L for cannabis.

If anyone has concerns about a person driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can call the RGP in confidence on 200 72500 or 199 in emergencies.