Drug-driver caught with 40g of cannabis in his van

A 38-year-old who had almost 40g of cannabis in his car “didn’t realise” he was four times the drug-drive limit.Byron Deacon, 38, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he admitted drug-driving and having a Class B drug in his possession.Prosecutor Jessica Neequaye told the court that at 11.40pm on November 16 last year, police stopped the Renault van Deacon was driving on Wootton Road in Lynn.

Officers conducted a roadside drugs wipe, which came back positive for cannabis.Police searched the vehicle and found a bag of cannabis, as well as a jar of the drug in Deacon’s pocket. The total amount came to 39.44g.He was arrested and taken to Lynn’s Police Investigation Centre for further tests, which revealed he had 9.8mcg of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol – a cannabis breakdown – per litre of blood. The legal limit to drive is 2mcg. Mitigating, solicitor George Sorrell told the court that Deacon has led an “unsettled life” recently due to struggling to find work as a plasterer.Mr Sorrell added that Deacon suffers with mental health issues, which led him to start taking cannabis. The solicitor said: “He’s in difficult circumstances and did resort to taking cannabis to deal with depression. There was no evidence of bad driving.“Since Christmas, he has only had two to three weeks of work.”Deacon, of Tower Close in Costessey, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120.He will also pay a victim surcharge of £48 and court costs of £40.