Drug-driver thought ban would be postponed so he could drive home

A driver from the West Midlands was facing the headache of getting his car home after being banned from driving in Lynn on Thursday.Hammad Talib, 31, of Bushey Fields, Dudley, appeared before Lynn magistrates charged with drug-driving on the Turbine Way, Swaffham, on June 14 this year.Having admitted the offence, the court heard from prosecutor Asif Akram that Talib had been stopped by police in the mistaken belief he was driving his Toyota Yaris without insurance.

It turned out the car was insured but officers formed the opinion that he may be driving under the influence and a roadside drug test proved their suspicions correct.A further test showed he had 4.6mcg of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol – the part of cannabis that makes you high – in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.In mitigation, George Sorrell said he had taken the drug due to various factors including problems in his marriage and he has “considerable remorse” for having taken cannabis and driven. He added: “He has driven here today with the mistaken belief that the disqualification would be postponed to allow him to drive home.“I have explained he will not be able to do that, and he will have to arrange for someone to come a collect the car and to drive him home.”Talib was banned for 12 months and was fined £80 with £40 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.