A drug-driver got behind the wheel with just a provisional licence while he had a heavily pregnant passenger in the car.
Tristen Whittaker, 24, of Methuen Avenue in Gaywood, appeared at Lynn’s Magistrates Court on Thursday where he admitted driving above the specified drug limit as well as using a red Ford Focus without any insurance.
He also pleaded guilty to driving without a full licence and having cannabis on him.
Prosecutor Lesla Small said that on March 10, police were driving behind Whittaker in the Salters Lode area.
They noticed that the registered keeper of the vehicle was not driving it, so kept following it.
Eventually, the car came to a stop at the end of a dead-end road and officers got out of their vehicle to speak to him.
They could smell cannabis on Whittaker and it was later discovered that cannabis was in the car, as well as a passenger.
A drugs test came back with a reading of 11mcg of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol – a variant of cannabis – in his system. The legal limit to drive is 2mcg.
In mitigation, Andrew Cogan explained that Whittaker was driving the passenger’s car, who was nine months and three days pregnant.
“She was overdue and invited Mr Whittaker to drive the car, they were driving to see relatives in the area,” said Mr Cogan.
“He pointed officers in the direction of the cannabis, it is very unfortunate this defendant has been extremely foolish when he was smoking cannabis.
“The passenger didn’t have enough qualified experience in driving.”
Whittaker was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £226.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £90 and court costs of £145.
