Agricultural worker from Whalley with drugs in system banned from driving

A Whalley agricultural worker, over the cocaine and cannabis driving limit, hit another car with a mother and daughter in, a court heard.
Burnley Magistrates' Court.Burnley Magistrates' Court.
Burnley Magistrates' Court.

Tai Kaye had more than three times the cocaine limit and twice the cannabis limit in his system. He told police he had taken the cocaine the night before and the cannabis a few hours before the collision on Barrowford Road, Nelson.

Burnley magistrates were told how the 24-year-old had done a 10-hour shift of very heavy work on a farm in Gisburn with the cocaine derivative in his body and was surprised the reading was as high as it was when he was tested. He gave a blood sample showing 167 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The specified limit is 50.

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He also had 4.1 microgrammes of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The amount allowed is two.

Mrs Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said the woman's vehicle was struck by Kaye's Volvo at 5-30pm.

The defendant told her: "I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

She could smell what she believed was cannabis on his breath.

Kaye was interviewed and said he was at fault as he didn't look properly. He told police he took drugs at weekends.

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Mrs Yates added: "It does appear to be a momentary lapse in concentration."

Mr Geoff Ireland, defending, said Kaye was going to lose his job as part of his work involved driving.

Kaye had never been in trouble before, had been driving for seven years and had an unblemished record.

The solicitor continued: "It's a surprise to him he was so much over the legal limit for drugs."

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Mr Ireland said on that particular day, the defendant, whose partner was expecting a baby, had been working from 5am until 3pm. When he finished, he went to Downham and smoked cannabis with a friend. He then drove to Nelson to see his mother.

Mr Ireland went on: "His mother doesn't enjoy good health and relies heavily upon him."

The solicitor told the Bench: "You will probably never see him again."

The defendant, of Green Park, Whalley, admitted driving without due care and attention and two counts of driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit, last December 20th.

He was ordered to go to an attendance centre for 24 hours and must pay £85 costs, and an £85 victim surcharge. Kaye was banned for 12 months.